Assassin's Creed Akame
by Northwoods Dude
Summary: All men must die and so must nations crumble into ash. The Great Empire that has ruled uncontested is now facing a new revolution that may topple the nation. In shadows however, two ancient groups pull at the puppet strings of the nation. One fights for freedom while the other for order. Now a young Assassin now stands at the heart of this conflict, his name is Tatsumi.
1. The Call of the Creed

All men must die and so to must nations crumble into ash. This Empire has reigned for over a thousand years and corruption is beginning to plague the once mighty nation. However in the shadows two ancient organizations tug at the puppet strings. One seeks to liberate the masses the other seeks to control. Now both of these groups are ready to go head to head to see who will rule in this empire.

 _Alamut Village_

 _Imperial Year 1024_

* * *

Duh, Duh, Duh. Tatsumi awoke to the loud noise at his door, "Tatsumi wake up, Mentor wants to speak to you!"

"Alright Ieyasu." Tatsumi rolled out of his bed and grabbed robe, "Tell him I'll be there in five minutes." He quickly dressed himself and slipped both of his pistols into his robe, attached his hidden blade, grabbed his crossbow, and slipped his sword into their sheathes on his back, finally he then put his belt on. Before he left he made sure to do the check list.

Ammunition, _Check_

Rope Darts, _Check_

Throwing Knives, _Check_

Bolts, _Check_

Coin Purse, _God Damnit Sayo_

He walked out of his house and into the coldness that he and his brothers were more than familiar with. The Assassin's had been using this village for over a thousand years since the Templar ruled empire had driven them underground. The locals who were not members of the order also enjoyed the arrangement too. The region was known for its risk species population, or rather lack thereof. Tatsumi then looked up at the center of all of the Brotherhood's operations, Alamut. The great fortress had been built when the people of the village and Assassins made the agreement to share the village.

He made his way through the great fortress bumping into several of his brothers before coming to the heart of everything, the Mentor's Chambers. "Tatsumi sit please." His mentor said to him who was looking outside of the window. Tatsumi sat a the chair in front of the desk his mentor not yet looking back at him. "I have received word that our brothers and our bureau in the Capital have been destroyed."

Tatsumi was shocked by the news, the Capital held one of the largest branches of the order. That was also where an old childhood friend was training under his uncle. Tatsumi could bear to think of what had come of him.

His mentor said to him as he finally turned around to face him. "The council and I have decided to send a group of seasoned Assassins to rebuild the order there. I have chosen to send you, Sayo, and Ieyasu along with the Assassins."

"Mentor, if I may?" Tatsumi waited for the Mentor's response. The black cloaked man nodded signalling for him to continue. "I don't think that you should send us along with the Assassins. I've only just reached the rank of Assassin, Sayo and Ieyasu have just become Disciples."

His mentor shook his head, "Tatsumi, you are the youngest of our order to reach the rank of Assassin. While it would probably be wiser to keep you at Alamut, it would be a waste to not use your skills for something greater." He walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Remember our creed and remember our tenets." Tatsumi nodded his head and left to prepare for the next coming day.

Tatsumi was walking down the road that he was informed was the Imperial Highway. He had been separated from the other two and lost his horse the other day. It did give him the chance to meditate with his thoughts, but couldn't stop himself from worrying about his friends.

"AHHHHH!" He heard a loud scream and rushed towards the location of it. He saw two men in a carriage rushing as fast as they could physically could go while being chased by an Earth Dragon. "It'll get us! Go faster!"

Tatsumi quickly climbed a nearby tree and started to run along towards the beast taking care not to get caught. Soon he came close enough to attack. He leaped out of the tree and drew his sword aiming for the monster's arm as it raised it to smash the wagon. However before it could destroy the men and the wagon he swept his blade through the weak point in their arm. He landed on the ground and looked back, "Class one danger beast. This'll be fun."

The massive beast lunged at him mindlessly. Tatsumi quickly dodged the attack and landed multiple critical strikes on the beast. So after his attack the Earth Dragon fell apart. Tatsumi returned his sword to its sheathe of the deed had been wrapped up.

"Th-That was amazing!" The men ran up to him with awe on their faces. "You killed a class one Danger Beast by yourself!"

Tatsumi smiled at the comment, "No worries it was nothing."

"At least let us repay you!" The second man said excitedly much to the others dismay.

"Is that cart going towards the capital?" They both nodded their heads, "If you could I would enjoy riding the rest of the way."

"We can take you there if you would like."

He smiled, "I appreciate it very much." He climbed into the back of the wagon and made himself comfortable.

* * *

 _The Capital_

* * *

Tatsumi climbed out of the wagon and waved the men goodbye. When they believed he was finally out of earshot one of the men leaned over to the other. "We need to hurry to the rendezvous. Lubbock is waiting for us."

Tatsumi began to walk into the largest city in the known world. He was amazed at the scale he had done a few missions in the cities nearby Alamut and the village. This though, this was on a totally different level. He wondered around for nearly an hour before he reached the pigeon pen. He was surprised to find over 50 notices and jobs on mostly dead or sickly birds. He picked one of the healthier birds and let it go after taking the message. He read the information on the targets

 _Manfred Von Kleid, silk merchant known templar. Uses his wealth and income to help finance Grandmaster Honest. The target's assassination will slow Honest down for around a week. This target's death is of the utmost importance for our continued operations in the capital._

 _Officer_ _Jonáš Križ,_ _customs officer suspected templar. Skims large percentages of the trade tariffs off for unknown purposes and steal much needed income from the Empire. Although he is strongly connected to several known templars so it's highly probable that he uses the money for financing their order._

 _The_ _Badcoke_ _Family, Noble Family that is kidnapping innocent country people and torturing and murdering them. According to reports it seems that the father is a templar that is helping his order plot a purge against the local branch of Assassins._

Tatsumi put the three contracts into his pocket, "Well I should get started shouldn't I." He began to walk down the road past a popular cafe where a blonde wearing a _very_ revealing black breast strap. ' _A country boy, hah. I guess he's a good enough to get conned.'_

"Hey!" Tatsumi heard a woman's voice from behind him and he turned around to see what it was. He was greeted by a large pair of breasts which he couldn't stop from staring at. He quickly felt blood rush to his face and….other areas. "Stay focused here kid." He heard the voice say to him. He looked up to her face, "So I bet you want to join the imperial army don't you?"

Tatsumi wasn't sure what she was talking about however he decided to play along with it. "H-How'd you know that?" He said still staring at her large...assets.

"I've lived here along time I know the type of new person when they enter town." She then looked at him with a sly look, "I know how you could move straight up to captain."

He was immediately suspicious of her statement but might as well hear her out. "Could you share this secret?"

"Buy me a drink and I'll tell you!"

As they were walking through the streets on their way to the bar. He keep constantly seeing the same four wanted posters. They had _very_ good artist sketches of the criminal and the names Akame, Bulat, Najenda, and Sheele. On the posters were their various descriptions and 'Night Raid, Dead or Alive.'

He turned the the blonde, "What are those posters?"

"They're those Night Raid bastards. Some group of Assassins that like sticking it to Nobles and the Prime Minister or something."

' _These Night Raiders from this woman's report could be in some form an ally. That has remained to be seen yet. I should first however begin to reestablish the brotherhood in the Capital.'_

He and the woman he found were sitting a small table in a large tavern. She had already put away five flagons of ale. "So what's this secret?" He said purposefully sounding impatient.

She looked at him with a small hint of red in her cheeks, "I have a friend in the higher ups with quite a bit of pull he could set you up. But, well you'll need give him a bit of money, kid." He wasn't shocked really he figured out she was most likely trying to rip him off.

He grabbed his pouch of pyrite coins, "Would this be enough?" He set the large coin purse on the table while watching her face light up and the face of the tavern owner look frustrated.

The women grabbed the purse, "More than enough! You know this has been a very educational experience, captain." ' _That was easy.'_

After she left the tavern Tatsumi turned to the owner, "How much is my tab?" The owner looked at him oddly. "I know she was trying to rip me off so I gave her a bag of pyrite coins." The owner laughed at the comment before saying "Eleven coins." Tatsumi walked up and placed a handful of coins on the counter amounting to twenty-three. The owner looked at the hooded man as he walked out into the street with a smile at the tip he had gotten.

Von Kleid Estate 4:12 p.m.

Tatsumi jumped from the tree planting the Rope Dart into the ground lifting the noose that had target on the end. He turned around seeing two legs kicking while the target's hands were trying to loosen the rope around his neck. He watched as the target failed around for another minute before he stopped moving and his hands dropped down. "May your god watch over you as you pass from this world." He said as he walked away from the body that had was swinging from the tree.

Križ Household 7:47 p.m.

"No! No! Please! I have a family! A Wife and a newborn son! I don't want to die!" The man who was slashed across his chest said crawling across floor of his office.

Tatsumi knelled down to look him in the eyes with hood covering the upper half of his face. "Maybe you should have thought of them before siding with the Templars."

"You want money! Take it I have more than enough! Women! I can get tho…" he was interrupted by Tatsumi's hidden blade sinking into his chest. Blood began to bubble out of his mouth as Tatsumi leaned into his ear, "May your god watch over you as you pass from this world." The man's body collapsed as he began coughing up blood. Tatsumi looked at the body for a second before walking away.

Tatsumi slouched back against a building as he put his hood down. ' _I guess I'll have to deal with those nobles tomorrow. I think I should find a place to sleep for the night.'_ He started to meditate on the three tenets and the three ironies. A routine that both his father and the mentor had drilled into him at an early age.

At that time a gilded carriage was passing, "Stop!"

The driver looked back, "Are we seriously doing this again, Lady Aria?" He opened one eye and looked at the girl and the driver. The sigil on the Carriage was definitely that of his mark and the girl bore a resemblance to his daughter.

"I can't help it. It's my nature." She started to walk over to him. "If you need a place to stay you could stay at my house."

He smiled, "I would enjoy that." He stood up and shook her hand, "Thank you."

The driver shook his head, ' _If you knew what was heading your way you'd run like hell kid.'_

The Badcoke Estate 9:21 pm

Tatsumi, Aria, and both her parents were sitting in the living room talking. "Ha Ha Ha." Aria's father was laughing so hard Tatsumi thought he could see a tear forming in his eye. It really was a shame that he'd have to kill him he really was a fun person be around. "So you wish to join the army?" He had switched to a more serious voice.

"Yes. I need to send money back to the village." He brilliantly spun the lie he had made the day before. "Although I was separated from two friends on the way here."

"Hmmm." He brought his hand and rubbed his face as if thinking. "I have a friend who maybe able to help you. He's in the army and if your friends have already enlisted he'll be able to find them."

Tatsumi smiled, "Thank you I would appreciate that."

 _Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding._

The group looked at the clock that was on the wall. "It's already 11:00 'o'clock. I should be getting ready for bed." Tatsumi stood up and bow respectfully and began to walk down the hall to his appointed bedroom. "I have a great feeling that you'll be meeting your friends very soon." Aria cried out as he was walking down the hall. He looked back and flashed a smile and thanking her. However as he was walking down the hall his face turned to a one of anger. ' _I'm going to need to finish the operation tonight so I can end their acts.'_

Later that Night- 12:04 pm

Tatsumi had gotten out of his bed and reequipped his gear and began to leave as he put his hood up. He found himself inside the master bedroom. He crept over toward the bed but only found Lord Badcoke. He pulled his arm back, retracting his hidden blade and forced it down in his targets chest. His target awoke feeling the blade in his chest. "Ass-Assas-in!" He weakly tried to yell out before dying.

He walked out into the hallway noticing Lady Badcoke walking towards the door. He hid himself in the shadows as she got ever closer. "What an interesting hobby I guess I have another journal entry." Suddenly she saw a flash of white and the feeling of flying. She looked down to see her legs slouched on the ground and then everything went black.

Tatsumi flicked his sword to try and remove as much blood as possible before sheathing it. He started walking towards Aria's room. When he passed a nearby window he noticed out of the corner of his eye people were standing on something in the sky. When he focused on it and noticed Akame and Sheele, the two girls from the Night Raid posters and several others.

"Must be Night Raid that means they're here to kill this family, guess I'll have to hurry." He was about to continue towards Aria's room before noticing the family's four guards and Aria running from the Mansion. "Dammit!"

"Akame those guards are on the hit list too." Lubbock stated.

"Then I'll eliminate." She said about to jump from the platform he had built.

 _CRASH!_

They looked at the window on the third floor as it shattered and a hooded man jumped out of it. He fell down landing on one of the guards. Two of the guards grabbed their machine guns and opened fire. The figure grabbed the body of the recently deceased guard and held it up to block the storm of bullets.

After firing for nearly a full minute they ran out of ammunition and quickly attempted to reload. The man took the chance and threw two knives at them. The guards dropped with the knives in their throats and he looked at the fourth guard and Aria who were trying to get out of there as fast a possible. He brought his pistol to bear on the guard and fired inflicting a fatal wound.

"Akame, who the hell is he?" Bulat asked marveled at the speed and effectiveness of the Assassin.

Akame shook her head, "I don't know but we need to find out. If he's a threat then I 'll eliminate him." She answered in a cool and calm voice.

Tatsumi had finally run Lady Aria down at the shed near the corner of the property. "Tatsumi why I saved you!"

He looked at the girl with cold eyes, "No you invited an Assassin into your home." He withdrew his revolver from his right holster. Aria quickly tried to cover herself, "May your God watch over you as you pass from this world." Tatsumi pulled the trigger on the pistol. The bullet hit the girl in the side of the head killing her instantly, a quick painless death.

He reholstered his pistol just in time to hear something land on the ground behind him. He turned to meet whatever had landed there, what he saw was a girl with raven black hair and red eyes. She didn't look that much older than him. Tatsumi had seen a picture of her before when the chick with the boobs and him went to get lunch. "You're that Akame aren't you?"

She didn't respond to him for a while, "Who are you?"

"I can't tell you that." Tatsumi said not trying to give away the fact that he was a member of the brotherhood, or that it even existed.

"Why not?"

Seeing that the girl wouldn't give up until he gave her something. "Let's just say that my friends and I don't really like really like to be in the public eye as much as you guys do."

"You're an Assassin?" She asked.

"I am." He replied.

"Then," she rushed towards him, "Eliminate!" She brought her katana up to strike at him though he easily sidestepped it and kicked Akame in the side. She got up soon after and rushed the Assassin again. This time she tried to send an even strike to cut him in half. He brought his hand down as if it was a desperate attempt to block it. Although when Murasame connected with his arm she heard the sound of metal connecting with metal.

She backed off for the moment and tried to focused on her next attack but was interrupted by the assassin launching a massive and sudden series of attacks. His attacks were seemingly random and he back off to avoid a counter attack before attacking from another angle. She had to admit he was really good with a sword even enough to match her.

Leone had started to walk to the shed deep in thought, ' _That was strange the bastard was already dead and Akame usually doesn't take this long.'_ She walked in the clearing just in time to see a hooded figure scratch Akame's arm with a sword. She recognised him, he was that damn kid who made her look like an idiot. Although Leone was surprised that he had managed not only to stand this long but also land a slight scratch her.

Akame was getting ready to launch a new attack when she felt something grab her arm. She looked back to see Leone, "What are you doing?"

"We got time, why don't we talk to him?" Leone let go of Akame and she sheathed her sword. "It appears you were here to assassinate this family. So why are you come to this house?"

Tatsumi put his own blade away, "I was given a contract so I had to come here." Leone and Akame were horrified that he was only here for what they assumed was money.

"So is money your only motive?" Akame asked clenching her fists together out of anger.

"No. I don't even get paid for my contracts. The reason for this contract was to destroy a treat to my order." Akame and Leone appeared to lighten up just a little bit. Tatsumi turned towards the shed. "Now I assume this is where they committed their acts." Tatsumi thought out loud. He opened the door to the shed. The scene was far worse than he believed.

There were several mutilated bodies lying on the ground or hanging from ropes or chains. A bodiless head hung from a hook. He recognized the head as one of the Assassins he left Alamut with, Richard. He was the one the Mentor tasked with rebuilding the Capital branch. Over on one of the shelves there were at least ten or fifteen bloody assassin robes. Amongst the dead were many of his brothers that he left Alamut alongside. But the body that hung in the center of the horrific scene was what attracted the foremost of his attention. "SAYO!" He saw the girl's naked body hanging before him severely mutilated, he stood before with his anger building up inside of him.

"Tat-Tatsumi." Tatsumi turned his gaze towards a cage were a sickly looking man was lying on the floor. He ran over to him quickly and unlocked the lock to let him out. The man looked at the young girl still lying on the ground, "That girl, tortured Sayo to death! She led us in like sheep to the slaughter!"

Tatsumi could hear the pain in his voice, "Ieyasu, please, tell me where are the rest of our brothers are. Surely they didn't all get captured."

"No, everyone else was cut down in that ambush. Everyone else was captured except you, when we didn't see you we thought you had been killed. I guess you were fortunate enough to get away." Ieyasu said progressively weaker.

"Hey, hey don't talk like that! We're going to get you patched up." Tatsumi said trying to help his friend.

"Sorry but he's beginning to show the latter stages of Arsenic poisoning. There's nothing we can do for him." Akame said in the background.

His friend reached up and touched his shoulder, "I would ask you do one more thing for me but the Creed would not allow it."

Tatsumi's face grew dark, "What the Mentor does not know won't hurt us." He put his hand near his heart. "May your god watch over you as you pass from this world." He then stabbed his friend into the heart much to Akame's and Leone's shock.

He stood up and began to leave with a heavy face. Leone looked at him, ' _He's quite skilled and doesn't hesitate when faced with a target. He does seem to have what it takes.'_ She quickly ran up and grabbed him much to his dismay. "Hey, so I was thinking that you might want to talk to our boss ."

"About what?" He cautiously asked.

"About being our new member!" She said excitedly throwing her hands up the grabbing him again and starting to drag him to the rest of the rest of the group.


	2. The Captain

Leone began to walk over to Tatsumi who was standing in front of the two graves he had dug. The headstone didn't have any names on them in their place was what looked like an upside down V. "So Tatsumi have you decided whether or not to join Night Raid?" She asked him cheerfully trying to get his mind off of his friends.

"No" He sternly responded, "I still have my duties that need to be performed."

"Well maybe you should speak to the boss first." Leone said in her cheerful manner. "Maybe you'll change your mind."

"I've already been here for two days and have spoken to anyone in a position of authority yet."

"Well we're all kinda in charge here." Leone said. She grabbed his hood that he had put down earlier and started dragging him towards the hideout. "Well than I introduce you to the rest of the team!"

Once inside the hideout she brought him to a large room with a long table inside and a purple haired girl sitting at it reading a book. "Hey Sheele!" His blonde escort happily cried out to her.

"Oh hey Leone." She said sounding pleasent at the least. "Is this your new recruit?"

"Yep." Leone shouted back a little too excited.

"Has he agreed to join us."

Leone shook her head, "Maybe you could give him a little encouragement."

The girl who was identified as Sheele tilted her book down and looked at him. "Seems how you've seen our hideout, if you don't join we'll have to kill you."

' _I'd like to see that, actually.'_ Tatsumi thought to himself. Deciding it'd be best not to vocalize it. Which is when he realized the title of the book, 'How to mend your Air Headed Ways.' ' _These guys are circus freaks!'_

"WHAT THE HELL!: He turned to see the pink haired girl. "Leone what is he doing here!"

"He's our recruit , remember."

The pink haired girl sized him up, "No. I wouldn't allow it." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You don't seem all that skilled to me all you did was kill some soft nobles." She told him sounding like a little brat.

Leone grabbed him and dragged him off before he could say anything. "Don't worry that's how Mein says hi!" She brought him to a large open area that could only be the training yard. "Well looks like somebody's working up a sweat." She wasn't wrong there was a large muscular man swinging a practice spear around.

He stopped for a moment to fix his oddly shaped hair style and looked back. "Oh hey aren't you the guy we picked up the other day?"

"Yeah, you're that guy in the armor, right?" Tatsumi asked back see a little bit of surprise on his face.

"Most people wouldn't' be able to recognise me in my armor." He started to rub his neck.

Tatsumi crossed his arms, "Well you're the only one that I've seen with the build to wield such a teigu."

"Ha. That's quite impressive and observant."

"Observant is part of the job description."

The man just started laughing out loud. "You know, I like you. The name's Bulat." He said extending his hand out for Tatsumi to shake it.

He took the hand as offered. "Master Tatsumi." Both his escort and the new face he met were looking at he very confused.

"Ok, I guess." Leone said scratching her head as she lead him to the next person.

He and Leone were walking up a ridge in the middle of the woods. "It's almost time for Leone's bath." He heard a happily sounding male voice on top of the ridge. When he arrived he witnessed a green haired man being pinned to the ground by Leone. With his arm in a very uncomfortable position.

"Next time you try peeking I'll break your arm." He responded with sounds of pain as Leone looked back over to Tatsumi. "This is Lubbock, as you see he's an idiot."

They started walking down a beach, "Let's see, the next one's a cutie so don't stare." They walked into a small clearing with a large fire cooking an equally large bird and the black haired girl standing in front of it. "Hey Akame how are you doing?"

She looked back at them with her mouth full of the meat from the giant bird. She swallowed it and threw a leg to Leone, "Here have some." Then she stared at him for a long time, "Have you joined us yet?"

"No."

"Then I won't share any of my food with you."

' _Yeah not a problem.'_ He thought to himself.

"Hey does everyone seem a little up tight you?" Leone asked the black haired girl.

However Tatsumi responded before she could, "It's probably because your boss is right there." He pointed the other side of fire exposing a another young woman with a mechanical left arm and an eye patch.

"BOSS! Hey'd you bring me anything cool!" The blonde ran other to her.

"Now why would I do that?" She began to flex her mechanical hand. "Your last mission was three days overdue." The blonde immediately took off trying to get away but the women dragged her back with the arm. "You got to much thrill out of the chase. You can't do that with a powerful opponent."

"Ok I learned my lesson!" She said as she was being dragged across the ground in front of him.

"So tell me about him." She point at Tatsumi.

They had moved inside the hideout with the entire team inside the room where he meet Sheele earlier. Tatsumi was studying the room, "I see. Tatsumi!" The women who introduced herself as Najenda called him. He walked closer to them and now standing in the middle of the group. "So Tatsumi you too are an Assassin."

"No." All of them looked back at him with a little bit of confusion. "I am an Assassin. Quite honestly after seeing your methods your more or less highly skilled killers. A true assassin doesn't leave anything evidence that they were no air, no breathe, no aura, only a body."

They all looked at him a little insulted, "Thank you for your input." Najenda said to him a little irritated, "You seem to be fairly experienced in Assassination techniques. Where did you learn those skills from?"

"I can't tell you that." He said feeling his ring finger to remind him of the third tenet.

Najenda and the others noticed that. ' _Interesting both his friends were missing their ring finger as well and he referred to them as Brother and Sister. Is he a member of a secret order?'_ "Your sword skills rival that of Akame which leads to the next question. What Teigu do you posses?"

"I don't own a Teigu." he quickly responded back without a hint of emotion.

"You a great swordsmen Tatsumi and yet you claim not to own an _Imperial Arm_." Bulat chimed in putting emphasis on the last two words..

"One doesn't need an Imperial Arm if they are skilled enough." He answered the man's statement.

Bulat laughed at him, "Good point. You know I like you Tatsumi, and I can't wait to work with you."

Najenda moved onto the next question. "Tatsumi what do you think of the current state of the capital?"

"It terrible, corruption and crime are rampant because the central government has been corrupted." He immediately thought of the Templar and their influence that needed to be purged.

She smiled at his response, "Then Night Raid would be the perfect fit for you. We are working to eliminate the source of the corruption that plagues our nation."

"Those do seem like honorable intentions General but unfortunately the duties and obligations to my Creed must come first." Everyone in the room seemed a little disappointed. "Not just that but I have a problem with your revolution."

"And what's that Tatsumi?" Najenda asked.

"Well first we have the problem with what happens after? Are we going to put another family on the Imperial Throne? I that case what do we do when this new Emperor falls to the corruption of the last? Will we become a Democracy? In that case how will we prevent it from falling to a tyrant when we create our new system of governance? Or will every province become it's own little kingdom? In that case, who do we answer to when the former Imperial territories fall to unending war? To me you and the Revolutionary Army seem to focused on eradicating the current regime than focused on what happens after." Tatsumi finished and looked around to see if his speech had any impact.

"If we're too focused on the dreams of tomorrow there's no way we'll be able to our war." Najenda said while lighting a cigarette.

"There's the problem General, my order has stood the test of time and we have recorded what happens to rebellions that don't know what their end goal is, bloodshed and a reign of fear. I'm sorry, I am sympathetic to your conflict but I cannot assist in your plight as a direct member."

"That is unfortunate Tatsumi. I'm sorry but if you refuse to join us I can not allow you to leave." She said taking a puff on her cigarette. If he won't join on his own free will then they had to use a position with a little bit of leverage. Although she stopped once she saw the smile on his face.

"I know it's much more fun this way." Tatsumi with his left hand pulled up a mask and with his right hand threw a smoke bomb to the ground that quickly caused the room to be filled with smoke. Everyone in the room were coughing and had their vision obstructed, but when the smoke finally cleared Tatsumi was gone.

"We need to find him now! Lubbock which way is he heading!"

He looked at Cross-tails, "I don't know he hasn't tripped any of my wires yet!"

Najenda thought for a moment, "I would prefer if he wasn't killed but if we must do not hesitate!"

"Yes Boss!" They all responded simultaneously and rushed out to try and find Tatsumi.

Tatsumi was rushing through the forest avoiding all of the trip wires that Night Raid had set. He stood on a branch and concentrated on his surroundings. He heard the light sounds of someone approaching, he hid himself in the tree and waited for whoever it was to show up. After a minute the purple haired woman appeared trying to mask her aura, although to a highly trained Assassin such as he could still feel it. She was almost directly underneath him he retraced his hidden blade and was about to kill her, ' _No they may not be my allies, but we still have the same purpose. But, that doesn't mean I can't incapacitate her.'_

He jumped down trying to land on her in the hopes of knocking her out. Sheele quickly realized this and quickly moved out of the way. Tatsumi soon landed on the ground. Sore from the sudden stop he looked back just in time to see Sheele attempt to stab him with her scissors weapon. He rolled out of the way seconds before the teigu stabbed the ground where he had been lying. Tatsumi quickly took advantage of the situation by clenching his fist and connecting it with her jaw. She soon fell ground unconscious. "Sheele!" He turned back seeing Mein standing there with her anger building up.

"She's not dead, just sleeping." He began walking away judging that the pink haired hitman would be to concerned about her comrade. He was soon proven right when he heard her run up to Sheele and whisper something although he didn't quite make it out.

Soon he was out of distance of Mein and stealthly creeping through the forest until hearing the sounds of people behind him. "He went this way!", Mein's voice. He began running while still avoiding the traps that they had set out for something like this. However when he just broken out of the forest only to find himself on a cliff by a large body of water. ' _SHIT!'_

He was about to turn back and go another way. Which is when Night Raid found him, including Sheele who was barring a large bruise on her face. They all surrounded him pointing their arsenal of weaponry at him, even Lubbock made some sort of string spear. Najenda showed up smoking another cigarette, "Tatsumi that is quite a show you put forth I'm actually pleased to have seen your talent." She puffed on the cigarette once more, "Which is why I will ask you one more time to join us, and do remember the position that you're in." She said smiling as if she had the upper hand.

Tatsumi only glanced at the eagle that was soaring above him, and the to the lake behind him. And much to everyone's surprise he began to fall backwards and soon splashed into the lake. He really swam through the water making sure not to cause anything that would give his position away. Soon he climbed onto the other bank and being spot by the sniper girl. "I got him!" She swung her giant gun around and aimed it at the Assassin emitting a large yellow flash that he knew he couldn't avoid.

* * *

 _Flashback_

* * *

 _He, Sayo, Ieyasu, the other assassins, and the infamous mentor of the Brotherhood were sitting on some of the Brotherhood's horses saying their goodbyes. Soon they had turned and began leaving down the Imperial Highway. However before they got to far. "Tatsumi!" The Mentor called out to him. Tatsumi looked at the group's leader, a man that had introduced himself as Richard. Richard nodded his head in approval for him to leave._

 _Tatsumi quickly rode to the old man. Tatsumi, I have seen you grow from a young child all to a great young man." The Mentor said with a fair amount of pride._

" _That is not completely by my own merits, my mentor, I would have never been able to become the person I am today without your guidance." Tatsumi said respectfully._

 _The old man chuckled as he reached for something in his pocket. "I may have given you a great many gifts but, there is one more thing I can give you." He pulled a small ring from his pocket and handed it to the young assassin. Tatsumi looked at it then to his missing ring finger then to Mentor like it was a cruel joke. "Obviously you don't know what a Piece of Eden is." Tatsumi looked at in awe knowing what untold powers may be held inside. "This one in particular has the ability to deflect incoming projectiles."_

 _Tatsumi studied the ring. It was innocent looking enough, at first glance it seemed like ring made out of iron or steel with no real value. Although a question brewed in Tatsumi's mind. "Why? Why give such a powerful artifact to me?"_

 _The Mentor sighed a little. "This was actually a gift from an old friend and one of my apprentices. Who just so happened to have been your father."_

 _Tatsumi now looked back down towards the ring understanding the significance of it. He clenched the ring and held it up against his chest. "Thank you, my Mentor. I promise that I will make you and my father proud."_

 _The old man placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Tatsumi, you already have." There was a moment of silence between the two before the Mentor spoke up, "You should catch up to them, unless you want to go to the capital by yourself." The Mentor smiled as Tatsumi waved goodbye and quickly galloped down the trail._

A yellow shield appeared around Tatsumi blocking the beam, much to all of Night Raids surprise. After the shield disappeared he looked up at them and walked into the forest. "How. The. Fu…."

* * *

 _The Capital-a couple hours later_

* * *

Tatsumi just returned to the city as the sun was just starting to set. His walk back to the capital hadn't been as nice as when Leone had pretty much kidnapped him. Oddly enough the guards didn't give him any trouble on entering, honestly you'd think it would be harder to enter the center of the Empire during the middle of a civil war.

' _Alright I need to find somewhere to sleep for the night.'_ He began walking by that tavern from the other day, he looked up at the sign it read ' _The Yellow Dragon'_. Thinking it would have at least a few rooms available he entered. The tavern was completely empty, besides for the owner who quickly recognized him. "My friend!" Obviously he remembered the tip as well.

"Hay." He closed the door and walked in. "Do you have any rooms available?"

"Yes." he shook his head in disappointment, "Sadly enough, the recession hasn't allowed many travelers to come by and the ones that do go to taverns with cheaper rooms." He sighed.

"Well I would definitely want a room to sleep in for the night." Tatsumi said to him.

"Alright, because you're a brother I think I'll give you a fair price...how does three coins sound fair?"

"Sounds fair." Tatsumi said pulling out the coins and handing them over when he realized what the simple barkeep said. "How'd you know I was an Assassin?"

"Seriously? You guys haven't changed your disguises in over a thousand years, did you seriously think no one would notice? Plus the old man was an Assassin."

"So your family used to be an Assassins. That actually makes me feel better, for a second I thought I had to kill you. So why didn't you become an Assassin?" Tatsumi asked after he calmed down.

"I had a choice, marry the love of my life or become an Assassin. I chose the girl." The barkeep said.

"What happened to the whole family thing?" Tatsumi asked.

The barkeeper's face became darkened, "I'd rather not talk about it."

Tatsumi realized that whatever it was he shouldn't press the subject. "So I'm Tatsumi." He said bringing up his hand for the other to shake.

"Jacob. Jacob Fletcher. As for your room. They're are upstairs, pick whatever one you like it doesn't matter anyway." The bartender pointed upstairs.

Tatsumi walked towards the staircase, about halfway up he looked back and waved, "See you in morning." Then headed off to bed.

* * *

 _The Next Day_

* * *

Tatsumi visited the pigeon coup near the Tavern. He opened the letter after letting the pigeon go. He opened the note and began to read it's contents.

 _Captain Ogre of the Imperial Guard. He has no Templar connections but he has been using he position and influence to cover up known Templar's actions. Instead he frames innocent people and has been responsible for dozens of innocent people's deaths._

He closed the letter and put it inside of his pocket. ' _A guards captain, first I'm going to need to collect enough information on him to assassinate him.'_

* * *

 _Night Raid hideout_

* * *

Najenda was sitting at her chair back at the base with a headache. "Sorry boss but we can't find him." Akame said to her not really helping with her current condition. "Bulat, Sheele, Mein, and Lubbock are still out, but haven't come across anything."

"What about Leone?" She said starting to take a puff off her cigarette.

"She said there was a contract she needed to check out. Although what are we go to do about the Tatsumi situation?"

Najenda stood up and began to walk away, "I've sent word to the Revolution Headquarters that we'll be moving soon. Tatsumi is extremely skilled and has an unknown Teigu that can block Pumpkin's attack. He also seems to belong to an unknown group that hates the empire, he could still be a useful asset. But then again he has spoken his disdain for the Revolution as well. Not only that he also knows our current location and our faces, so if he resists coming with us, kill him."

* * *

 _Imperial Market District, City Square_

* * *

Tatsumi spent nearly the whole day finding information on Ogre. He had found a couple of drunk soldiers who were more than willing to talk about their commanding officer and his habits. During their talk he had found that Ogre enjoys drinking after work with some of his subordinates and would leave to go home at around 9:30. Which lead him to where he was now. He was standing on top of a roof overlooking Ogre and his retinue. He figured it'd probably be best not to face Ogre head on, so he'd need to lure him away from his retinue.

He climbed down ahead of Ogre and his men and began walking towards them. "Seryu. You and Koro can go home!" He was talking to a cute brunette girl with a bipedal dog-thing on a black leash.

"But Captain Ogre!" She was literally jumping with excitement.

"No buts Seryu. I can get home safely with these guys you should get home and rest up, that's an order."

She and the dog saluted him, "Yes sir!", and she zipped off with her dog bouncing behind her.

Ogre laughed at the girl and signaled his men to continue following him when Tatsumi walked up to him. "Captain Ogre, I have something important to discuss with you."

"Alright spill it boy."

Tatsumi looked around observing his surroundings, "Can we discuss this privately?"

* * *

 _Gamal's Home_

* * *

Akame looked at Muramasa crimson coating after she had silently eliminated the guards. She walked into the bedroom and found Gamal lying in puddle of his blood with his throat slight.

 _CRASH!_ She heard a loud sound coming from the merchant's office followed by a silent, "Shit!"

She ran into the room and found a hooded man with robes just like Tatsumi's, and a missing ring finger. "Tatsumi!" She pointed Muramasa at him, "Come with me and I will not hurt you."

He man looked at her, "Who the hell are you? And how do you know Tatsumi?" The appearance was just like Tatsumi but his voice was completely different and deeper with a hint of a foreign accent and on his back was a large rifle. She also noticed the skin that was exposed was much darker than Tatsumi's. She relaxed a bit and then noticed he was holding a clear bag full of blood red cubes. "Your that Akame girl aren't you? Must mean you're here to kill that bastard that's liking the carpet."

"What your name?" She teased back up and got ready to attack.

He shook his head and smiled, "Can't tell you that, but if you want call me Sniper." He politely tipped his hood, "It was a pleasure meeting you Miss Akame and I hope to see you again." He quickly grabbed a smoke bomb a smashed it on the floor filling the small room full of smoke. When it was finally clear the window was open and the man called Sniper was gone.

* * *

 _A dark alleyway in the Capital_

* * *

"So what is it boy I'd like to go home!" Ogre said to the boy standing in front of him.

"Don't worry Captain I will make this as fast as possible." He grabbed his sword and leaped toward Ogre who barely had enough time to grab his own sword and block the strike. Although he felt the sharp bit of a blade in his chest and when he looked down he saw the young man's hand against his chest. Ogre began to fall down as everything slowed down and turned white

Tatsumi was slouched over the dying man, "I'm sorry, I missed the heart and instead cut a major artery. If there is anything you would like to confess now is the time." He kindly said to the captain.

"Ay," The captain managed, "I know why you've done this, and to be honest I joined to bring justice back to the city. But power corrupts and even I wasn't immune to that. Ha I guess that I'll see whether or not they can manage any forgiveness for a foolish man." The captain looked up at him, "What's your name son."

"Tatsumi." He answered without hesitation.

"Well then. I guess we both have to worry about our victims forgiveness, Tatsumi. Don't worry boy I'm not holding anything against you personally. "

Tatsumi heard the last breathe come out of Ogre's mouth and reached down and closed his eyes. "May your god watch over you as you pass from this world."


	3. The Second Assassin

Tatsumi had found his way back to Jacob's tavern and was sitting at one of the tables in the empty bar. "Well at least it was clean job." Jacob said to him sitting on the other side of the table.

"Yeah. Tomorrow I'm going to do a few more missions."

"Smart idea, the money will help establish the Brotherhood here. Speaking of that have you found a place that would suit as a headquarters and some potential recruits?"

Tatsumi shook his head, "Not yet." He finished his drink and handed it to Jacob. "I'm still looking though."

Jacob took the pint and pointed at the clock. "If you want to start early tomorrow I suggest getting to bed soon."

' _Oh shit it's already midnight. I should get in bed I have an early morning tomorrow.'_ Tatsumi stood up and started walking to his room, "Night." He said to Jacob.

"Night." He answered back.

* * *

Tatsumi was passive at the moment. Well he was in the middle of a crowd of civilians hiding from a patrol of guards that were searching for him. One of them however were an enforcer, which was making it a bit hard to get out of here. So instead of making a break for it he decided to assassinate him in the middle of the crowd, that would at least make it little easier.

Soon enough though he saw his chance, the enforcer was way too far away from his men for them to be useful. He slowly started to make his way behind him so that he could assassinate him without being spotted. "Assassin!" Tatsumi was unsure how, but the enforcer had spotted him. Although his back was still turned so he could easily assassinate him. Tatsumi quickly ran to retracting his hidden blade and quickly sinking it into his back.

Tatsumi guided the man towards the ground as the crowd began to run away from the sight which blocked the way for the guards to come rushing. After Tatsumi had set the man down he realized another Assassin was standing close in front of him.

"Goddamnit, man! Why are yo….Tatsumi?" Tatsumi instantly recognised the voice.

"Seamus?" He stood up and offered a hand to his old friend. "I thought the entire Capital branch was wiped out." Seamus took the hand and got up.

"Did you seriously think you could get rid of me that easy?" The comment provoked a laugh from Tatsumi.

"Well I haven't had to deal with you for the last three years haven't I, guess I have bit of a debt to pay."

Seamus slapped Tatsumi on his back, "How about we go and catch a drink, something had to happen since I came to the Capital." Tatsumi looked back to see that a few of the guards were starting to break through the stampeding crowd.

Tatsumi and Seamus were sitting in the tavern he was staying at for the past month and a half having a couple of drinks. "So the old man at Alamut sent you here by yourself to rebuild the Brotherhood."

"No he sent Sayo and Ieyasu and a few others with me too." He told his friend.

"Speaking of them," He said pouring another pint for him and Tatsumi, "Did you ever ask Sayo out?" Tatsumi's face turned from his happy expression to sad. Seamus quickly picked up on what he was felling. "When?"

"There was this mansion, family of nobles tricked people in and murdered them. I took a contract out on their lives and decided to investigate the shed. That's where I found…" Tatsumi begin to struggle with the final part of the sentence.

"Sayo and Ieyasu." Seamus finished his sentence seeing a weak head nod from Tatsumi. "Remember my last night back at the village and we somehow got Ieyasu to try and get that beehive."

"And he got stung like hell." Tatsumi said starting to smile again and laughed. "Then there was Ieyasu's first leap of faith."

"Didn't he break an arm?" Seamus asked. Tatsumi nodded his head as he took another drink. Seamus chugged the last of his and put it down, "You probably have other things to do than talk to me so I'm just going to go, got a job that needs doing. Where are you staying out of?"

"The Yellow Dragon Tavern." Tatsumi answered.

"Jacob's place?" Tatsumi nodded. "I would have went there, though I thought it a bit risky. So is there somewhere we can meet? I have something that I need to show you."

"I've just been filling out contracts today, meet me in the main square later."

Seamus slapped Tatsumi on the back, "Alright meet ya there. Oh, and by the way Tatsumi, to officially welcome you to the Capital the drinks are on me."

"Thanks man." Tatsumi replied.

He finished his drink and was getting ready to leave when the barmaid walked up to him. "If you're finished with your drink you can leave _**after**_ you pay." She said stressing the after part.

Tatsumi looked at her curiously, "Didn't my friend pay for me?"

"No, he said you'd pay for you _**and**_ him."

Tatsumi sighed he should have known that he would have done that. "Alright how much? 15 coins?" Tatsumi said as he started reaching for his coin purse."

"No, 2,034 coins." Tatsumi literally felt his heart skip a beat or two. "He said you also offered to pick up his tab." Tatsumi's mind was split, one part was trying to figure out how to work a way around this and the other started to imagine him killing Seamus. ' _Well fuck'_

* * *

"Get back here you little bastard!" The bar's owner shot his rifle hit the shop across the street after barely missing Tatsumi who was running out the door. When he looked back he say the man chasing him with a butcher knife.

"FUCK!"

* * *

Tatsumi reached the top of a roof after losing the Bar Owner. On the roof stood one of the Assassin's pigeon coup, opened up a pigeon coup and grabbed a pigeon took the message out and read about his next target.

 _Guards Captain George Francis. He does not appear to have any connections with the Templars however he's been kidnaping, falsely accusing, and executing innocent civilians for his own sadistic purposes. He can always be found at the execution grounds._

* * *

Mein and a few other members of Night Raid came into the capital to get some supplies for the base before they moved. However instead of getting supplies Mein decided it was time break off from the others and perform a retail investigation and visited one of the local dress shops. She bought two new pink dresses and was beginning to return to others. Well at least she was before she saw white robe walk gracefully through the crowd.

"Tatsumi." She muttered.

"What'd ya say Mine?" She turned back towards the voice of Sheele. Behind her stood Lubb, and Leone wearing a confused look on their faces. Without saying anything to them she turned back towards where she saw Tatsumi. "Mine what's up?"

"Tatsumi, I just saw him over there." She towards where she had just seen the Assassin. The other three instantly understood her.

"Alright, if Tatsumi is here we should try to find out why." Leone said in a commanding voice.

* * *

 _Execution Square_

* * *

Mein, Lubbock, and Leone walked to the edge of the square. "Did you find him?" Lub asked the two women, both shook their head. "Damnit Nagenda going to be pissed after we tell her about this."

"NO! PLEASE FOR GOD'S SAKE! I'M INNOCENT! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!" They looked over and saw three guards dragging a young women to a cross lying on the ground and a man wearing the armor of a Guards Captain.

He backhanded the young women, "SHUT IT, BITCH!" After his men picked the sobbing women he pointed to the cross. "NAIL HER TO THE BLIGHTED THING ALREADY." Two of the bastards started forcing the girl onto the cross while the other grabbed a hammer and large nail.

"Let's not look it's worse that way." Lubbock and Leone turned around until Mein noticed someone.

"Look! I think it's Tatsumi!" They both looked at the young man approaching the execution platform gently pushing people out of the way. He reached for something on his back and pulled it out, it looked like a crossbow. They saw the recoil of the crossbow and the guard with hammer and nail fell after reaching up and grabbing his neck. He unsheathed his sword and rushed the closest guard and aimed his attack at the man's leg almost severing it then raised his sword over his head and bringing down the blade into the man's collarbone. He took a knife from his belt and flicked it towards the final guard. He rushed towards the captain jumped retracting his hidden blade. He used his momentum and weight to break the soldier's defense and sunk his hidden blade into his neck killing him almost instantly.

The tortured women ran away from the platform as several guardsmen arrived covering the Assassin's possible escape routes. "Sir, come with me!", the leader of the group said approaching him. Most of the civilian elements of the crowd had left the square, leaving only Tatsumi, the guards, and the three Night Raid members.

Tatsumi glared at the men refusing to answer the officer. The officer looked at him confusingly. Suddenly a gunshot rung through the square and a red cloud sprung up from the officer's head and he dropped. The other guardsmen took their aims at Tatsumi. However the young assassin dropped a smoke bomb sending a cloud of smoke up obscuring their sight.

Suddenly a dart flew out of the smoke hitting one the guards in the chest and pulling him into the cloud. This repeated itself five more times until the cloud had mostly cleared itself and the could now see the outlines of the otherside.

"If we charge him we can kill him!" A random guard yelled charging in with many of his friends. Tatsumi parried the first strike from the guard and stabbed him with his hidden blade. The second guard tried to use a spear against him. Tatsumi simply dodged the attack the spear causing it to impale another guard behind him. The assassin pulled the spear out of the guard whilst stabbing the guard holding the weapon. He used it to strike a guard in the throat, another guard attempted to grab him from behind. He was quick to counter grab him and throw him over his head and impaling his abdomen. He saw a fifth guard approaching quickly, he pulled out the spear and quickly threw it at the oncoming soldier. The spear hit him in the dead center of the chest dropping him instantly.

Two guards started to charge him from the left, he quickly grabbed two of his throwing knives. Both knives hit their targets spot on. Suddenly Tatsumi felt his feet lift off the ground and flew across the ground of the square. He looked up from where he was lying and saw a large brutish looking guard holding a mace approaching him. Without saying a word he throw it over his head and was getting ready to bring it down on top of him. He considered rolling away from him although he saw another guard standing one his other side.

Suddenly a second shot rang out hitting the guard in the head. The unnamed guard fell like a freshly cut tree, dropping his mace. Tatsumi reached out and grabbed the mace and in one fluid motion swung at the other nearby guards legs causing them to shatter. Tatsumi swung the mace down on the guard again to, this time, deliver a killing blow. He turned around looking at the handful of guardsmen that remained. They looked far too scared to try anything, but when Tatsumi eithdrew his pistols they broke into a rout. Seemingly pleased he put away pistols and strolled away from the gorish sight.

There was a long silence between the Night Raiders before Lubbock broke the tense quiet. "Holy shit that was so quick and awesome!" Lubbock was starting to freak out. "That's like something out of a manga!"

Leone punched him causing him to fall down, "Oh concentrate will you! The boss will want to hear this."

* * *

Tatsumi walked over to Seamus who was sitting on a rooftop across from the execution site with a large sack lying next to him. "Did you really have to announce your presence like that? I thought that we're suppose to be a blade within the crowd?" Seamus mockingly stated.

"You saw what they were doing. If I didn't intervene like that girl would have died painfully for no reason." Tatsumi countered.

"Fair point." Seamus stood up and stretched, "So is there anything that needs to be done today?"

"I need to kill some Templar bastard then I was thinking about checking out a possible headquarters."

"Well I got an idea for a location."

"What is it?" Tatsumi asked.

"It'd be better to show you, but first check this out." He grabbed the large sack and handed it to Tatsumi. He reached inside the bag and pulled out a small red cube.

Tatsumi's eyes widened, "This is a blood vial!" He looked back at Seamus and handed him the blood vial. "Who's is it?"

Seamus took it and looked into it, "I've no idea. I found them inside of a Templar's home that I assassinated last night and figured it would be best to take these and send 'em back to Alamut."

"Alright that's a fair idea." Tatsumi grabbed the bag and gave it back to the other assassin.

Seamus grabbed his rifle and turned to Tatsumi, "So who's the bastard you're gunning for."

* * *

 _Night Raid's Base_

* * *

"Tatsumi saved the young girl and skillful killed several guards with that much difficulty." Najenda stated as she tried to recap what her subordinates had told her.

"Yeah and he's definitely not alone either. During the whole thing two of the guards were killed by a rifleman." Mine said. "Not that they're anywhere near my skill level, but fact aside, it's still troublesome." She added to the discussion.

Najenda rubbed her forehead trying to prevent the oncoming headache. "This only confirms what Akame reported, that there's a second member of Tatsumi's group. It also means it may be more difficult to capture him."

"But Boss, we have Akame plus there's seven of us and two of them. Surely we can deal with just two people." Leone said to her trying to relieve her stress.

"If you remember Leone, Akame was hard pressed against a boy who claimed to not wield an Imperial arm of his own and he has at least one person helping him out. Not only that but this report only furthers the fact that he is skilled." She puffed on her cigarette and thought for a minute. "In order to capture him and eliminate this threat we'll need to set up some sort of trap. One where we can control the battle."

"Do you have any orders Najenda?" Lubbock asked. "Anything pertaining to Tatsumi that is?"

"I do actually, Leone, I want you to track him. We need to find out where he gets his contracts, and how he gets paid. If we find this out we maybe able to discern his motives."

Leone shook her head, "Alright boss."

"As for the rest of you, just be careful if you investigate Tatsumi. He;s proven he's dangerous and I can't afford to risk your lives for something this trivial." The rest nodded their heads in response.

 _The Southern district_

The two Assassins were walking through the wide streets of the Southern district. The Southern district held one of the highest population densities in the cities save for the three ghettos. The southern district was also the primary place to come for newly arriving immigrants from all over the Empire.

"Hey Seamus that thing you wanted to have me check out, where is it?" Tatsumi said wondering when he would be able to finally see the next possible base for the Brotherhood.

"It's still over in the next district over by the canal."

Tatsumi shook his head and continued to follow his friend. However eventually they came across five soldiers and large man arguing over something. "I said it isn't fair for you to do this! This people still need to make a living!"

The officer in charge didn't take kindly to the man's shouting. "Well who the FUCK cares what you think, brute!" He pushed the man backwards. "I could easily have you arrested, jailed, and fined for obstruction of justice!"

The man reached into his pocket and pulled something out, "NOT ON MY WATCH!" He buried a cleaver into the officer's neck and grabbed the bastard sword he carried.

Several civilians ran away from the fight while Tatsumi and Seamus stood watching. Seamus turned to Tatsumi, "Your wanting to help, aren't you?" Tatsumi looked at his old friend and retracted his hidden blade. "I feel the same way my friend."

Seamus retracted his hidden blades and the two Assassins runs towards the remaining four guards. They pushed their hidden blades into their backs severing the guards spines. The large man that was about to fight the four other men looked at the two hooded figures. "Who the hell are you?"

Tatsumi offered his hand to the man, "Tatsumi." The man shook Tatsumi's hand.

"Seamus." He said as he offered his hand which the man quickly accepted.

"Name's Flint, Flint Nordell." They heard the sounds of men running in armor, they looked over and saw they around twenty or thirty guards running towards them. "Ahhh, do you guys want to fight or run?" Both Tatsumi and Seamus looked back at him like he was stupid, "Ok run it is."


	4. A New Home

_The Imperial Palace_

* * *

"Grandmaster, we have reason to believe that the Mentor of Alamut has sent a retinue of Assassins to rebuild their presence here in the Capital." A young member of the order said.

"That old man and his followers have always been dedicated to say the least, it was expected. Our next step should be to cut off the head of the snake before it can bite us." The current Prime Minister said grabbing another large slice of meat.

"How do you expect going about that?" A large well-built general said to the man.

"Knight-Commander Budo, if we reach inside of the snake den, we will be bit. However, if the snake crawls forth from its hole, it's head can easily be removed." The old Prime Minister answered the general.

"So you plan to lure these Assassins out with bait?" Another of the Templars stated.

"Yes I do and I plan to have my cousin, Iokal, prove himself now."

"W..W...W...What? Honest I know you…." The man who could have only been Iokal stammered out.

"Iokal, need I remind you who pays the guards to look away from your...hobbies." Honest shrewdly pointed out.

Iokal sighed, "You are correct cousin I will act as the bait for this, but who will be my guard for this operation?"

"Who else would we send out to hunt an Assassin other than an Assassin Hunter?" Said tearing off a large chunk off the piece of meat he grabbed earlier.

"Sir there is one more matter that I would like your decision on." Another Templar said to the Grandmaster getting his attention. "What of Night Raid?"

"What about them?" One of the other Templars asked.

"They've already assassinated several of our members and various bureaucrats and nobles in and around the capital."

"Many of the Revolution's leaders are members of the order however Najenda is still unaware of the Forever War and instead is focused on her little Revolution." Honest calmly said reaching for another piece of meat. "Keeping her and her little band of wannabe assassins may be useful down the line."

* * *

Tatsumi, Seamus, and their new friend, Flight, had finally outrun the guards using the roof tops. "You know, Flint, for being, such, a large dude, you sure are, nimble on your feet." Seamus said panting.

"Ay, it was a skill that I had developed during my youth." The large man said back to his two new companions. "So I must ask, why are you two wearing those ridiculous robes?"

Seamus leaned over to Tatsumi, "What should we do with him?"

Tatsumi thought for a second, he needed to be careful of how he proceeded. Flint could ether be a great asset to a great harm to the Brotherhood. "Why were you fighting those guards when we found you?" Tatsumi probingly asked the man.

"Some bastard captain decided the people in my home district weren't paying enough taxes and was extorting several of the merchants and common people who lived in the area. I couldn't stand by and watch the people of my hometown be treated like that."

Tatsumi and Seamus were both smiling as they both approved of the older man's reasoning for his earlier actions. "Flint as one man there is not much you could do alone." Tatsumi started to say to him.

"But with a group you can." Seamus finished, "Tatsumi and I would be honored if you would join our Brotherhood."

"Why? What is this Brotherhood?" Flint looked to both Tatsumi and Seamus.

"Seamus and I will explain it to you, but first." Tatsumi began looking around the city, he noticed they had wandered into the Canal district. "Where's this potential base you were talking about?"

Seamus pointed towards a large Cathedral to the east, "Right there."

"A church! You want us to place our base in a church! You know that one place where people are always going to and from on a daily basis." Tatsumi pointed out whist yelling at his friend.

"Oh just give it a chance. It used to be the old Brotherhood base in the Capital region before I came here."

"Then how safe is it? The Templars were able to find our other base." Tatsumi asked his friend.

"They didn't even know we used this one. We abandoned it around seven years ago when our needs outgrew its walls. We kept it unoccupied but setup in case we ever needed fall back to it if something like this ever happened. It has everything an Assassin base would ever need a training field, an armory, quarters, an office for our Master." Seamus jabbed Tatsumi with his elbow at the final part of his statement. "All we need is a group of Assassins to train some recruits and we can begin our operations." Seamus said cheerfully.

"Alright we should probably check it out now while we're here." Tatsumi said looking down to the street noticing a hay bale wagon. "Flint, pay careful attention."

* * *

A young woman ran into a small alleyway soon she was followed by a man in a black hooded robe. "Please I haven't done anything!" She cried out to her pursuer.

He retracted a hidden blade, "You chose the wrong side miss." He stabbed her in the chest where her heart was located. He took a small napkin out of his pocket and wiped the blood from his blade.

"Sir, sir!", another man ran up to him. "The Grandmaster has called us; we have a new mission."

"Good." The blade returned to its hidden sheathe. "I was wondering when I would have the opportunity to slay another of our former brothers."

* * *

 _The Bismarck Cathedral_

* * *

Tatsumi and his two followers entered the massive cathedral with at least a hundred or so people spread out through the place but there was absolutely more than enough room to fit them and at a bare minimum a few thousand. It was, besides from the quiet prayers, completely silent so that their footsteps made loud echoes in the massive open area of the cathedral. They looked around the openness of the cathedral looking for something that would lead them to a passage of some sort that would lead them into the Assassin base. They had been searching for an hour or more when they had noticed that all but one of them had left.

The man that had stayed was wearing a black robe like that of the Mentor and used a cane to walk. "So after seven long and grueling years, my hooded friends have finally returned." He walked closer to the group. "I am the bishop here at this Cathedral. My name is Alonzo Mortarion. I have stood watch over the secrets our Brotherhood has hidden here."

"You mean our former base that is located here." Tatsumi said to the old man.

"I do. If you seek the entrance to the facility it is located underneath the Cathedral's pulpit." He pointed to the raised stand that laid in front of the religion's symbol. The bishop turned around and motioned for the three Assassins to follow him. He lead the three of them to the back part of the pulpit and showed them the insignia of the brotherhood upside down though.

Tatsumi kneeled to the level of the insignia to get a better look at it. The first thing he noticed was that it was covered in a thick layer of dust. He cleaned the dust from it which exposed a slit that was big enough to fit his hidden blade. He studied it just to be sure and then retracted his hidden blade and inserted it into the slit and turned it turning the insignia into its upright position. Immediately afterwards a piece of the wall began to slide out from its position exposing a corridor.

"The Brotherhood's new home is located within." The bishop said to the Assassins who then motioned to them to enter the passage.

When they entered Tatsumi pulled a small lever closing the passage behind them. It was a dark path with very little light inside of the passage. They followed it for a short while before they reached a large open room with a large pigeon coup with seemingly hundreds of them inside ready to carry messages to the Mentor and other branches of the Brotherhood. The room also had various things that were commonly affiliated with training exercises for Assassin recruits.

"We should check out the rest of this place." Seamus said starting to explore the rest of the new hideout with Flint strait on his heels.

Tatsumi wandered around for a little while checking out the facility. ' _Seamus was right earlier it did have everything that we would need.'_ He entered a small room with a desk in the middle and book marked _'Ledger'_ and a detailed map of the Capital. "Must be the office for the Master Assassin of the Capital." Tatsumi looked over his shoulder to see Seamus considering the room.

"So what am I going to do with an office?" Tatsumi asked his friend.

"As we start to grow in numbers and influence you can send out some of our brothers and sisters on missions in and around the capital. It'll also allow us to coordinate our operations within the region." He grabbed the ledger from Tatsumi's desk and looked at it. "This will allow us to keep track of expenses, inventory, and income."

He set the book down and looked back at Tatsumi, "Hey you should go and visit Jacob at his tavern. Tell him that he got the new place up and running."

Tatsumi paused for a second, "Shouldn't we focus on Flint first?"

"I'll start Flint on the basics while you're gone."

"Thanks Seamus, I'll be back in an hour or two." Tatsumi said leaving this new office.

* * *

 _Capital, Old Town - Streets_

* * *

Najenda stood in the middle of a broad street. Old Town use to be one of the most prosperous districts in the Capital, however with The Prime Minister's new policies and the recent crack down on the district, left it but a shawdow of it's former glory. Little was known about the Minister's crackdown, honestly it was far to sudden and seemingly had no provocations. While Najenda hated the man she knew that he didn't do anything for no reason.

She did notice something earlier though. A burned and collapsed building. While not uncommon in this part of the city, it bore the sigil that Tatsumi had carved out on his friend's head stones. Could he be the last of a secret order?

Najenda sighed annoyingly. _'The more I learn of him, the more questions I want answered. He is exceptionally skilled, enough to fight Akame to a draw. He has an unlisted Teigu that can block a blast from Pumpkin. Finally, there seems to be more hooded Assassins than just Tatsumi. Along with the fact all of them are missing their ring fingers. He must be a member of a larger organization, although the question is why haven't I heard of them.'_

"Hello Najenda." She focused on the figure in front of her, it was definitely Tatsumi. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you in the Capital?" She asked the assassin. "It's obviously not to support the Revolution, so why do you continue to fight Honest?"

Tatsumi paused for a long time before he answered. "Why do you fight him?"

Najenda was at first taken back by the question. "Because it's the right thing to do."

"Good, a simple and easy to manipulate answer." Tatsumi retorted back. Najenda was about to say something back but he had continued again. "I assume that it's you who determines what you think to be right and wrong, yes." He got a hesitant nod from the general. "I have experienced many who have felt the same only to be pulled by the strings of their puppet master."

Najenda looked at the boy with a small...large amount of anger building up. "So what about you then? You haven't answered MY question yet."

"I fight because that is what my Creed demands, that is what I have trained and bleed for, and it is what I have sacrificed so much." Tatsumi said in a solemn voice. "It would be follish for me not too continue fighting."

"You have conviction Tatsumi. Please, join us and together we can overthrow Honest's regime. If you are worried about the result of the revolution, wouldn't be better to guide it from within our ranks." Najenda said in the most persuasive voice she could muster. The same she used to recruit Akame.

Tatsumi on the other hand stayed silent for awhile before answering. "I'm sorry but I can only answer to my one master, and I must continue on this path."

Najenda shook her head. "Then I'm sorry I can't allow you to run around the Capital. It puts everything that we have worked for at risk." With her last words several of Night Raid's members lept out and a thin green string tightened around everything making any escape impossible. Bulat and Akame were flanking him from the sides while Sheele stood behind him and Leone in front of him by Najenda. "So, would you reconsider my offer? And remember this time you won't be able to escape like the last time."

Tatsumi quickly studied everything around him. Akame, Leone, and Sheele could be defeated with his blades, however there was Bulat, that armor would be impossible for him to pierce. Also there is the problem of going Four on One, he'd need to knock one or two out if he were to have a chance of escaping.

"So. What's your answer Tatsumi?" Najenda asked again. Instead of answering he pulled a few of his throwing knives out. He in a quick succession of one and another threw them at Leone. One hit her in the right knee, two in the left leg, and one on the chest. Akame, Sheele, and Bulat quickly began approaching him. Tatsumi quickly rolled out of the way and withdrew his crossbow. He fired it at Akame's right heel. Inside of a direct hit she cut the bolt in half and then swung at him.

He dodged the strike and with drew his own sword to block the preceding strike. He continued to parry the barrage of attacks from her, however the issue came when Bulat summoned Incursio's hidden polearm. He would need away to take him out of this fight if he were to win. Suddenly his sense alerted him to a threat from behind him. Unsure of whatever it was he slide away from his current position. Just in time to see Ecstasy close on where his waist would have been.

' _There it is!'_ He stood back up and brought his leg up in a roundhouse kick towards Sheele. The basic attack worked. His boot easily connected to her chin and sent her towards the ground. Bulat began to charge him with his polearm acting similarly to a spear. He grabbed Ecstasy from the unconscious Sheele and stabbed directly at Bulat's moving form. Bulat did not have enough time to redirect himself when the scissors based weapon impaled him.

Leone and Akame realized that the battle was not going well for them and Leone was finally able to regenerate enough to be able to be useful in the fight. "Hey you bastard!" Tatsumi looked directly at her, "You hurt my friend, so I'm going to make you pay!" She charged him like a ferocious lioness. He parried her fast and reckless attacks and suddenly he felt like something approaching him from behind. He took a second to check his back remembering that Akame was still in the fight. He saw that she was about to try and slash at his back.

Tatsumi at this point had already heard of her sword's infamy as the 'One-hit Kill Sword'. He ducked and rolled away from Leone and then looked back at the pair. Akame was still swinging Murasame at where he had been. Her momentum was too great to back out of the swing and Leone was now almost where he had been. Now while Night Raid deliberately was trying to kill/capture him, they still had a common enemy. Which is why he had to do something. He took his leg and sweep it out from under her feet. Murasame passed by without hitting anything leaving both Akame and Leone feeling relieved. However, Night Raid was still attacking him. Tatsumi's sword passed through Leone's shoulder and then sweep his sword twords her knees. The sword only severed one leg and implanted itself in the other.

Akame attempted to strike him with Murasame at this time. Unable to withdraw his sword, Tatsumu brought up his hand to try and sheld himself. ' _I've got you now!'_ Akame thought to herself a loud ringing sound was sent through the street. Akame tried harder to force her sword to cut through whatever it was Tatsumi was using to defend himself. Finding herself unable to overwelm him she stuidied his arm for further details. Shortly she realized what it was, from his sleeve a small blade had sprung out.

Tatsumi used the Hidden Blade to parry the next strike and then suddenly launched his own attack by slashing at Akame's chest. Akame lept backwards and brought up Murasama to begin a new series of blows against Tatsumi. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her leg. She looked down to whatever the pain was and saw throwing knife stiking into her leg. Akame reached down removing the knife before she felt a sudden wave of tiredness hit her. Within seconds she began to feel topsy-tervey.

"Akame," She looked at Tatsumi, "I coated the tip with a sleep inducing chemical. It'll be easier on you if you submit yourself to the effects." Akame grabbed her katana and slowly dragged herself to where he was standing. She weakly attempted the swing the cursed sword at the assassin, but fell before she was able to begin to swing the blade. Her last sight was that of the assassin facing Najenda.

Najenda just watched every last one of her subordnates exept Mine, who wasn't there, and Lubbock, who was involved with the direct fighting. Which only left her and Tatsumi alone. Tatsumi had just retrieved his sword from Leone's leg and began walking towards her. He withdrew his revolver and aimed it directly at her.

"Hey Lubb! Lower your string bearrier!" Tatsumi shouted out.

"What if I don't?" Lubbock asked him.

Tatsumi's pistol moved to the unconises female members of Night Raid. "Then they're not going to walk out of here etheir."

Lubbock observed the situation and decided that his best course of action would be to reel his string back into his reel. Now without anything holding him in the abandoned street block. Although there was one thing he forgot, Najenda. Najenda aimed her syenthitic arm at him and fired. Tatsumi looked back just in time to dodge andswing at the cable. The sword alone was unable to sever the cable however he aimed the revovler that he still was holding in his hand. Tatsumi carefully aimed and fired at the weakspot he had made in the cable. The bullet shattered the cable and Najenda's metal fist went far off and impacted a building a ways off. Tatsumi looked at Najenda, with his hood covering his face she couldn;t see his face but knew it was along the lines of wanting to butally murder her. However instead he just continued on his way like he had been before Night Raid's attempted capture of him.

Lubbock quickly jumped down from the rafter and ran over to Najenda. "Naja! Are you ok?!" Lub worryingly said.

"I'm fine, we need to make sure Bulat is ok. Let's hope that Mine has had more luck than us."

* * *

Tatsumi made his way over to Jacob's Tavern. He entered the tavern and sat down on one of the empty tables in the corner. He started to rub his eyes and waited for somebody to come by and get him a drink. Jacob came over to the table and set Tatsumi's favorite drink down and slide a note to him.

 _Tatsumi all day we've been hearing rumors about Iokal, a relative of the Prime Minister. They say he's been kidnapping and torturing young women, his relations to the Grandmaster of the Templar Order mean he's most likely another member of their order. You should go and eliminate the bastard._

Tatsumi looked up at Jacob and put the letter inside his pocket. Tatsumi grabbed the large mug of beer and drank the mug and set it down. He quickly got up and left to assassinate the new target.

* * *

 _Forest near Iokal's Mansion_

* * *

Tatsumi was moving through the forest trying to avoid any unwanted attention. Eventually he reached a cliff that overlooked the Mansion. He started to form a plan to assassinate Iokal when he heard something move around in the bushes. He looked back and saw a girl wearing all pink and carrying a large gun. "Mine?"

"Tatsumi!" She quickly pointed Pumpkin at him, "What are you doing here?"

He raised his hands up, "I came here to kill Iokal."

She hiesitated a moment then lowered Pumpkin, "I guess I'll need a spotter, they sent everyone to capture you." She said smiling and laughed a little bit. She approached him and handed him a pair of binoculars they both sat down on the cliff and began to watch the mansion. Soon they saw a large crowd of people walking out the large entrance.

"There! He's the one in the middle wearing the brown coat." He said studying the group.

"Right." Mine responded. Her concentration quickly became increased and she readied herself to take the shot. She pulled the trigger and a burst of yellow energy shot out and hit their target causing him to fall back. She grabbed her gun and stood up, "Alright let's head out, they'll send out someone to intercept us soon."

The two moved through the forest along a rugged trail. "The escape route isn't optimal."

"Yeah." He said after tripping over a root. "So why did Night Raid send you to kill Iokal?"

He stopped and Tatsumi saw her face turn into one of complete scorn. "He was using his family's influence to advance himself. I despise people like him most of all."

 _'Sounds like a story behind that.'_ He thought to himself.

"Because I'm feeling nice I'll tell you about it." Said back almost like she could read his thoughts. "I grew up near the western border and half of my blood is foreign. Because of that I faced such discrimination and no one showed me any respect. However, the Revolutionary Army formed an alliance with the Western tribe, so if we win the peoples of the west and of the Empire will be able to get along. So, that way no one else will ever face the same discrimination as I did."

"That's pretty incredible Mine." He said. _'She sounds like she'd fit into the brotherhood.'_

"PLUS WITH EVERYTHING I'VE DONE IN THE NAME OF REVOLUTION, I'LL GET A TON OF REWARD MONEY AND LIVE IN THE LAP OF LUXURY!" She started laughing very heavily.

 _'Yeah maybe not.'_

They arrived at a small clearing with a cherry tree in the middle. "Guess I'll see you later Mine." He said looking back.

"I'm looking forward to it." She said smiling and began to walk the other way from Tatsumi.

He felt something change and looked back seeing a man in a black hooded robe about to jump out of a tree near Mine with his hidden blade drawn. "Mine watch out!" He quickly grabbed his crossbow and shot the man before he could air assassinate the girl. He quickly ran over to her with his sword drawn.

"Who was he!" She said analyzing the surrounding forest searching for any further dangers.

"Hunters. They always work in groups so be on your guard." He switched to his eagle sight and studied the tree line for the other hunters. He quickly noticed the red shape hiding within the bush. He pulled out his pistol and fired a shot at the man seeing him be pushed back and the red disappear. Another rushed to the pair and Mine brought up Pumpkin fired a large energy burst at him. He quickly fell to the ground with a large hole through his chest. A fourth hunter appeared and pulled a machine gun and readied it to fire. Tatsumi grabbed a knife from his belt and quickly through it the man. The knife lodged itself into its target's neck.

They both lowered their guard, "I guess that was it." They started looking around to make sure that was the last of them.

Tatsumi looked up at the cherry tree and saw another hunter jump down to where Mine was standing. "The Grandmaster will be pleased when I bring both your heads to him!"

Tatsumi rushed to Mine and pushed her out of the way and retracted his hidden blade and deflected the Hunter's own hidden blade. They both jumped back and they both looked at each other sizing the other one up. "You seem quite talented, boy. I feel quite honored to have once called you a brother."

"So I assume you and your partners were once assassins too." He said keeping his hidden blade out trying find an opportunity. He knew if he went for one of his other weapons he'd open himself for and attack from the hunter.

"Of course. None of us finished our training but we went far enough to receive our hidden blades." He said.

"Well then allow me to take it back!" Tatsumi charged the hunter grabbing his sword and jumping bringing his sword down on his opponent. The Hunter captured the sword mid swing, but Tatsumi let go of the kilt and retracted his hidden blade and plunged it into the other man's chest. Tatsumi slowly lowered him down and rested his head.

"Why? Why did you betray our brotherhood?" Tatsumi asked the dying man.

"Do you really need to ask that? You are a full-fledged assassin you've killed countless times over and over, again and again; do you truly think that we ever made a difference in any of those assassinations?"

"Of course we did, we work…"

"We work in the shadows to defend the people of the world. But where has that truly gotten them? All we bring is chaos and destruction. The Templars bring peace, order, and…"

"The enslavement of the mind. You and your leaders would force people to think the way you do, you would 'reeducate' them, where is the good in that?"

"Of course, what would you do to insure peace?" The Hunter said slowly slipping out of his conscious until he Tatsumi heard the last breath of air escape his lungs. Tatsumi closed his eyes,

"May your good watch over you as you pass from this world."

He stood up and looked back at the pink haired girl that he had fought alongside earlier. "Tatsumi what the hell is going on!"


	5. The Executioner

Mine stood in front of the young assassin who had just performed some sort of last rights on the man who had just tried to kill her. "You've been assassinating several targets in the capital, you seem to have a network in the capital, and then there was that last part with that hunter. You two were talking about something with a creed and templars." She pointed Pumpkin at him. "I want to know right now what is going on?"

"Mine, I can't tell you that." He said trying to descalate the situation.

"Why the hell not?!"

"Because I'm not permitted to." He calmly told her.

"Why." Mine demanded.

"Because I'm not permitted to." Tatsumi simply repeated himself. "Pumpkin is not going to do you any good Mine, I still have my shard."

"That thing that blocked Pumpkin I suppose?" She said lowering her rifle. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Well you're the one that wants to talk." He sat down with his back against the tree. "So lets talk." He lowered his hood. Mine walked over by him and sat down next to him.

The pair sat in silence for a short while before Mine found a question he could answer, "Tatsumi, when did you begin your training to be as an efficiency of an assassin as you are now?"

Tatsumi leaned his head back against the tree and thought for a short time, "I'm seventeen now so it would have been about...eleven years ago."

Mine looked at the young man sitting besides her shocked, she knew Akame and her sister weren't even that young when they started their training. "D...Do you regret this path you've chosen."

"No." He said, "It would be impossible to regret the only life I've ever known."

"Oh." Mine responded to his statement. She actually began to feel sorry for him. "Tatsumi ha…"

"Mine ssshhh." In an instant she went from sorry to pissed off at him for shushing her, until she heard the sound of something running through the forest. It was beginning to come closer and closer. Mine drew Pumpkin up to where the noise was coming from and saw Tatsumi drew one of his revolvers. They put their weapons down when they saw who had come out of the woods.

"Oh how romantic!" Leone said right after looking at the pair, "Talking underneath a blossoming cherry tree, I wonder what will happen next?"

WHAT!" The two shouted simultaneously, "I would never date anyone like him!" Mine shouted at her teammate.

Tatsumi looked offended and turned to the girl next to him, "Well you're not exactly a trophy wife!" His comment caused her pigtails to rise up and her to show her anger.

"Oh boy you're asking for it!" The two started a banter of insults and yelling that looked extremely comical from Leone and Lubbock's perseptive.

"Ahh, true love." Leone said sigh.

"Does the Najenda still want us to try and capture him?" Lubbock asked.

"No," Leone answered, "Plus with others out for now I don't think we could."

"HEY POINT THAT THING SOMEWHERE ELSE!" Tatsumi yelled in the background completely unaware of what was beginning to brew in the Capital.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the Old Town District_

* * *

"Please just let me go." A young woman cried, "I'll do anything you want." She was begining held from her neck by a tall man wielding dual katars and wearing an Imperial Officer's coat along with a weird green eye thing on his forehead.

"No can do sweaty," he began his answer to the question. "Didn't your parents ever tell you that the city is dangerous at night?"

She started to try and break free from his grip but when that failed she desperately tried to talk her way out of it. "I promise to do whatever you want me to do, just please, don't kill me."

The man smiled, "Well I am quite the talker do you mind answering a few questions for me?"

"N-No of course not!" She quickly answered.

"Then, how does it feel to be without a body?" He said as her blood started to flow down the side of his katar and the body fell to the ground. "Delightful, simply delightful! The perfect end to the perfect day!"

* * *

 _Bismarck Cathedral-The Assassin's Hideout_

* * *

Tatsumi wandered back into the old Brotherhood base right before dawn. He had been beat and needed to get some sort of sleep, he stumbled through the large and mostly empty base. It would begin to seem more and more crowded as they recruited more brothers and sisters into the order. When he entered his office he plopped down in the bed that had been put in there for his use. He slowly found his comfortable spot and began to doze off. "HEY TATSUMI!" There goes his rest.

He looked over to his old friend entering the once quiet and empty office. "What's up, you were out pretty late man."

He didn't see any point in avoiding the question he'd only keep bugging him until answered. "Night Raid ambushed me, then Jacob gave me a lead for a mission."

"Sounds like a busy night." Seamus said sitting on Tatsumi's desk. Tatsumi had known the young boy for awhile and knew when he had some he wanted to talk about.

"What else do you need to talk about, Seamus?" He said burying his face into his pillow.

His friend sighed, "I'm sorry to bring this up now, but we need to talk about how we're expand our influence here."

"Do you have any ideas?" Tatsumi said as he started to sit up, "You've been in the city much longer than I have."

"I have a few ideas but we'll first need to focus on recruitment. There's not much two assassins and a recruit can do by themselves."

"Speaking of that how is Flint?"

Seamus scoffed, "Flint is surprising skilled at free running and is as equally adept with with a blade."

"However?"

"However his method is not exactly suited for precision stealth attacks that we use to eliminate our targets."

"Sometimes to eliminate one of our targets we don't always have to assassinate them." Seamus perked up at the statement, "Some of our targets the best course would be intimidation or humiliation on occasion. What is more intimidating than a six foot man with a big ass sword?"

"Fair point." Seamus said as he started to walk towards the door, "In my opinion Flint is completely ready to take a life for the Brotherhood."

"If you think so I'll find a contract so he can prove himself after I get some rest." Tatsumi laid down on his bed.

"Alright I'll try and teach him assassination tactics in the meantime." Seamus said as he walked away from the room and Tatsumi finally fell asleep.

* * *

 _The Imperial Palace_

* * *

The Templar leaders were sitting inside their meeting chamber. "So our hunters weren't able to save Iokal?" Budo said to the rest of the Templar council. "You have my condolences, Grandmaster."

Honest was sitting on the end of the table with his anger obviously showing. "These assassins were able to kill not just my cousin but our most successful hunter team as well. This problem has grown so far out of control!" Honest slammed his fist on the table startling a handful of the men sitting near him.

"Sir, if I may." One of the Templars said, "General Esdeath has recently finished her conquest of the northern tribe who were lead by the Assassin, Numa Sanka. We could use her to eliminate the Assassins here as well."

"Grandmaster!" Another templar yelled out, "I am completely against using someone who is not a member of the order. We have Knight Commander Budo here in the capital already and he has proven himself capable against them."

"Rowlingson my friend, why should we trouble our dear Knight Commander?" Honest said in his usual shrewd manner. "Esdeath is a useful tool to enforce our order's will."

"Grandmaster," Budo said easily hiding his fury within his voice. "I will not question your orders, however I must question using a sadistic psychopath such as her."

Honest ripped a chunk of metal out and swallowed it, "As I said Esdeath is a useful tool, but when a tool loses it's usefulness you discard it."

* * *

 _7 hours later - Bismarck Cathedral - The Assassin's Hideout_

* * *

Tatsumi and Seamus where sitting at a table in the large room in the hideout, they had decided that it would probably make a great dining hall. Tatsumi had finished eating a humble meal and began to fix an old hidden blade he had found in the armory. The door at the beginning of the room opened to show Flint standing there with the knife Tatsumi had given him although it was now covered in blood.

The large man approached approached the two young assassins and gave Tatsumi the blood covered knife. Tatsumi set it on the table and glanced over it. "Did you hear your targets last words and perform her last right?" He looked up into the recruit's eyes, he stared a the stained blade and didn't respond. Tatsumi was familiar with the look he had seen so many recruits young and old who had just taken their first life.

Flint stood there staring upon the blade, "Did I ever tell you that I served in the army? I've killed many people or ordered their deaths many times over, but, never once did they ever beg for their lives." Tatsumi could hear his mourning from his voice. They hadn't told Flint why the mark had to die, or of the Templars yet.

Tatsumi wiped the blade clean with a small napkin that rested on the table and handed it to Seamus. Seamus took the blade looked at it and was able to sense exactly what Flint was feeling, "Flint when we first meet you you killed a guard. Why are you feeling this now?"

"He deserved it. He and his men have been robbing the people of what little they had. Her, she had never done anything. At least nothing I know of."

Seamus sat down next to him, "Don't worry Flint. I've have seen and gone through what you are going through right now. All of the recruits that have been sent out to make their first kill for the creed have come back wearing that face. Well, all except one."

Flint sat down at the table, "How was he able to deal with it?"

"I don't know I guess it would be better to ask him." Seamus said gesturing towards Tatsumi.

Flint was stunned by the younger man, "How?"

Tatsumi bowed his head and held a short silence before he spoke, "Every life I have taken has been for the Creed." He retracted his hidden blade showing to the other two men. "My blade has dispensed death for the last seven years of my life, I personally have ended many lives of many people who had never meet me before." He retracted his hidden blade and looked at the recruit, "However in the face of all of that, my hidden blade has dispensed justice in equal amounts to the lives I have taken. That is what it means to be an Assassin."

"I understand that but why did the women I killed have to die?"

"Now that you have become a full member of our brotherhood Seamus and I will tell you everything about us Assassins and our enemies, the Templars." Flint shook his head, "We have already told you of our Creed and its tenants, correct?" Flint nodded as a response. "Well a long time ago, befo-" Tatsumi was interrupted by the door behind him opening.

When he looked back his eye meet those of the bishop, "Hello my sons, sorry to interupt but I must speak with master Tatsumi."

Tatsumi looked at Seamus and was about to say something, "Don't worry bro I'll get Flint all caught up."

Tatsumi left the room with the old clergyman when they had exited the room they stopped a little ways from the door. "So my young master I must ask have you heard of recent happenings inside of the capital?"

"Like what? Is this something to do with the Templars?" He asked of the old man.

He raised his hand and shook his head, "No, no. Unfortunately it's not anything like that." The Brotherhood did not usually deal with thing that were outside Templars or Rogue Assassins, so he was obviously curious as to what the Bishop wanted him to look into. "Recently there has been a string of brutal murders throughout the city, there has been at least twenty-one known victims within the last nine days."

Tatsumi realized severity of the issue, "Do you have any idea of the identity of whoever is responsible for these murders?"

"I do. From the reports of my informants, it seems to be the work of former executioner Zanku." The Bishop calmly said.

While Tatsumi had clenched his fists and started to vibrate from the rage Tatsumi was feeling build up within him. "Did you just say Executioner Zanku?" He said barely able to hold back his rage. ' _You all heard him even now he refuses to spare his own life! Now all that is left to do is leave it to Executioner Zanku.'_ He heard the echo from his past play inside of his head.

"I did, is something wrong my son?" The Bishop asked worried about the Master of the Capital Assassins.

Tatsumi however quickly calmed down, "Of course, our first objective should be to protect the citizens of the Capital." He began to walk away from the old man, "I'll hunt for our serial killer tonight after dark, hopefully I'll be able to slay him and put an end to these murders." Tatsumi walked away from clergyman.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the Empire's Northern Frontier_

* * *

The northern prince felt another blow land from the blunt instrument that the bitch was using. She had stripped him naked and chained him to this wall in an effort to break his spirit. When he heard the Minister was sending his favorite lapdog to crush the uprising he didn't think anything as bad as this would have happened. "This is actually quite surprising most men would have began to break by now, yet your will has not budged. This has been far more entertaining than I ever would have thought, thank you Namasaka."

He did not answer the woman, he just felt the spot where his ring finger had been. Suddenly the door to the dark room opened and showed an elderly man in an officer's coat and around his neck was a cross like most of Esdeath's army wore however his instead was a dark red instead of the usual black. "General Esdeath, a messenger from the Prime Minister arrived. He says that it's urgent."

"Fine." She looked at her victim, "Your willpower is strong, unfortunately I need to put you down." She began to reach for her rapier when her subordinate stopped her.

"General Esdeath allow me." The man stepped forward.

"Fine Liver, I'll leave him to you." The general sheathed her Liver and left the room.

When the door closed Liver walked closer to Numa Saka. "So, Assassin, how does it feel for your fate to be decided by me?"

The prince painfully chuckled, "Honestly I'd rather die by your hand, Templar."

Liver raised his hand, "I'll do everything in my power to send your remains to that Mentor of yours."

* * *

 _The Imperial Capital - Night_

* * *

It was finally night in the city and Tatsumi was hunting for the serial killer, Zanku. He had ordered Seamus and Flint to stay behind at the hideout, he had some business to settle with the executioner. He had been using his eagle sight to follow a trail of some sort. He heard the distant sound of metal clash against metal and figured he better investigate. He ran across the roof tops and within a few minutes he arrived at a large open square and saw Bulat and Leone from Night Raid battle the man he remembered as Zanku.

Leone was missing one of her arms and lying on the ground with countless cuts and scratches while Bulat wasn't faring that well against Zanku. He had already lost Incurso's armor and was barely holding against Zanku's barrage of his katars. Eventually Bulat was forced back and the sword he was using slide across the ground and was at least twenty feet away. Zanku walked closer and raised one of his katars and got ready to kill the man.

' _I have need to intervene now or they're both going to die. They may not be my allies but we both are fighting Honest.'_ He grabbed one of his throwing knives, ' _He's pretty far away but it'll at least distract him.'_ He threw the knife with considerable power and accuracy and it passed by Zanku's head. The sudden danger stopped him from killing Bulat and he turned around seeing the Assassin running towards him.

Tatsumi pulled out his sword and continued to run towards the executioner. Zanku smiled he still had his far sight and was able to predict the future movement of the blade. Zanku stabbed where Tatsumi would be in less than a second. The experienced assassin quickly stopped himself and shifted his moment and as he passed Zanku his sword left a minor cut on the left side of his torso. Zanku turned around and faced the Assassin who was standing out of his immediate range. "You little shit! How did you manage to land a hit on me with my far sight!" Tatsumi didn't answer him and only glared at him from underneath his hood.

"Well I guess you are at least an Assassin of some skill." Tatsumi looked at him strangely wondering how he knew of the Brotherhood. "I was the Head Executioner at the largest prison of the Empire! The Grandmaster tends to order a TON of executions, I beheaded more than my fair share of your brothers."

"Who's this Grandmaster?" Leone asked the pair.

"You'd know him better as the Prime Minister." Tatsumi answered her question. He refocused on Zanku, "Although how di-"

"DID I KNOW WHAT YOU WERE THINKING?!" The executioner shouted finishing Tatsumi's sentence.

"Watch out Sunshine." Bulat said showing the pain within his voice, "That green thing is a Teigu."

Zanku began to laugh, "Yes it's called Spectator, one of it's abilities is called Insight. It allows me to read your every thought."

"If you're reading my every thought then I'll have to leave it to instinct." He prepared his attack stance and charged the executioner. Zanku started to slash at were Tatsumi's head would be within seconds. However last second the assassin ducked into the gap in Zanku's right side and turned swinging the sword and watched a blood spurted from the cut. Tatsumi used the momentum to slide far enough away from Zanku.

"I guess I'll have to do it!" He removed his coat and Tatsumi's perception completely changed. He rubbed his eyes and looked back up and saw that Zanku had been replaced by someone else, someone who had died years ago.

"Li-Liam?" He said feeling his heart drop.

"Tatsumi!" He heard someone yell but it sounded far too distant, "Tatsumi! It's not real!"

Liam began to speak, it was his same voice from all those years ago. "He can't, Illusionary Sight creates a mirage of the person you care about the most in this world. No one, not even the most skilled could possible harm the one they love the most!" Liam began to rush him retracting his hidden blade. "This is going to be the last thing you see Assassin SO ENJOY IT!" Liam was nearly in striking range of him.

Tatsumi gripped onto his sword tighter and dodged the hidden blade and positioned himself behind his former friend and ran his blade through his chest. Immediately after his perception shifted back to normal. "How! Y-You were to see the person that you cared for the most!" Liam had transformed back into Zanku. "That was you mistake, Zanku. For he was the man who taught me that the Assassin's Creed is at times tough to follow and will push you to the places you would prefer never to go, it is also the path to deliver mankind to a better tomorrow. That is what we fight for, and I am prepared to sacrifice whatever is necessary to achieve that."

"To bad, I never did understand your creed." Tatsumi removed his sword from Zanku's body allowing him to fall backwards. Soon after the earbuds that were inside his ears shattered and Zanku's face lightened up. "T-The voices. They're gone, it's delightful."

Those were Executioner Zanku's last words. As his last breathe of air escaped his lungs he kneeled down and closed his eyes. "May your god watch over you as you pass from this world." After he delivered Zanku's last rights he removed the Teigu that he had been using. He threw it to Bulat, who caught it and stared at Tatsumi. "I think your boss would want you to return with this."

* * *

 _Somewhere near the Capital_

* * *

Esdeath overlooked the city on the back of a danger beast she had tamed, "I'm finally back."


	6. The Mad Doctor

_A couple days later_

Tatsumi was running across the rooftops. He looked behind him seeing the hunters that were chasing him. He jumped from the roof onto the looked around trying to find something he could to lose them. He looked over to and saw a roof garden on the the roof that was slightly raised higher than the row of houses he was currently running across. He quickly jumped onto one of the cloth lines that connected the two roofs. After reaching the other side of the roofs he looked back seeing two of his four pursuers were had started to also cross the cloths line. He quickly drew one of his revolvers and fired two shots off fatally hitting the two hunters. He looked over towards the other two seeing that they both drew machine guns and were getting ready to fire at him.

Tatsumi rapidly grabbed one of his smoke bombs and threw it over to them hitting the ground in between the two guards. It soon filled the entire area with smoke which allowed him towards to the roof garden. He jumped into the roof garden as the smoke started to clear. However when he jumped inside he felt his face bounce off of the something hard. He looked back up and saw a large blue box, "Huh?" He grunted at the extremely oddly placed thing. He stood up and read the words. ' _Police Telephone Call Box'._

Tatsumi studied the box for a few minutes before the door flew open exposing an older looking grey haired man with large hairy eyebrows. "What are ya' doing!" He stepped out and slammed the door, "I park my TARDIS here to recharge on a time rift for ONE MINUTE and YOU run it to it!" Tatsumi tried to calm the angry man down when a _DING_ sound came from the box. The man's face completely changed, "There it is!" He reentered the box and soon Tatsumi heard a loud thud and it sounded like it was breathing really heavy. Next, it started to fade away until it was completely gone.

Tatsumi stood back in shock of what just happened. "Hey, I think he may be in here!" Tatsumi completely snapped out of his daze and retracted his hidden blade. He reached out of the roof garden grabbed the closest man to him and stabbed his hidden blade threw his neck. He pulled out the revolver he had used earlier and shot the other one while he had the upper hand. He climbed out of the roof garden and cracked his neck, "Another job well done." He stated just before he heard something that sounded like running. He glanced over and saw what he estimated as around thirty of city guard running towards him, "FUCK!" He took off running, "WHY THE HELL DO I SAY THESE FUCKING THINGS?!"

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 **Come on raise your hand, how many thought this would have something to do with Dr. Stylish? No I wrote this to over come my writer's block on my other series and it actually worked, this does not mean this is an Assassin's Creed/Akame ga Kill/ Doctor Who crossover just thought I'd have a little fun.**


	7. The Assassin Guard

Tatsumi wandered back into the assassin's hideout in the cathedral exhausted from out running four Hunters and about thirty guards. "Hey Tatsumi!" Seamus yelled catching Tatsumi's attention. "How did it go, did you get the message from the Mentor?"

Tatsumi reached inside his robe and handed him an envelope that had the top ripped open. Seamus grabbed the envelope and pulled out the letter and began glancing over it's contents. "So Esdeath's been seen in the city." Seamus sighed, "This is bad we didn't have a lot of breathing room to begin with, now Honest is certain to have her crack down on us under the gise of fighting Night Raid."

Flint walked into the room where they were talking, "Hey kids what's up?"

"It's not good." Seamus said as he sat down in a chair.

Tatsumi was still standing when he began to tell Flint the rest of the problem. "Honest has called in Esdeath."

"Esdeath." Flint said calmly. "That's scary, I heard about her during my time in the army. They say she's the most powerful in the Empire."

"With her coming in we'll have to work fast to establish any sort of footing in the city." Seamus said with the letter still in his hands, "In the letter Mentor says that he's going to come to a meeting spot near the city in a few days."

"We need to find out what is happening in the city. Over the last few days we've assassinated multiple pro-templar officers within the city guard in the Canal district, right now we stand to take advantage of this and cement our control in the district." Tatsumi grabbed a map of the city and pointed to the district. "First we'll need to establish some sort of information network. Do you either of you have any ideas?"

Seamus was at a blank while Flint had an idea brewing within his head. "Tatsumi, I'd like for you to me by the foram near the cathedral." Flint got up and left real quick leaving the two assassins by themselves.

Seamus and Tatsumi started with a small amount of curiosity lingering between them. Seamus then stood up, "I think I'm going to investigate the Market District. You can usually find something interesting happening in that part of the city. Perhaps I'll overhear something that could be of importance."

Tatsumi nodded his head what Seamus's explanation of what he was going to do. "Alright, and also keep an eye out for some potential recruits while you're out." Seamus nodded back before he raised his hood and left the dining hall.

* * *

Tatsumi walked up to Flint who had taken a position on a large column that gave a great overview of the large open space where the city's people would gather and meet. However instead of seeing people cheerfully interacting with each other the forum was littered with several of the homeless residents of the city. Many were clustered together in what he assumed were family groups; others were either by themselves or wandering about in a complete haze. Tatsumi was horrified at the sight, "The overseers of the docks often times will recruit the homeless residents of the city, cheaper that way I guess. However when there aren't any ships in the harbor find themselves here." Flint explained.

"I know that this is a very important issue, but how does this pertain to our need of and information network?" Tatsumi said in a low and slightly cold voice.

"What makes a good spy, Tatsumi?" Flint asked him. Tatsumi drew a blank at the question. Flint however decided to answer it for him, "Someone who can move unseen, listen to conversations unseen, and when looked for disappear."

Tatsumi at the group, "I don't think they are unseen!"

"The only reason you and I see them is because we care." The brawny man said. "People will always ignore things that are bad but that would be to costly to fix." Flint pointed towards a carriage that was passing by. The people inside neither looked at nor noticed the horde of impoverished people. "Do you see my point?"

"So what would you do?" Tatsumi asked consenting to his argument.

Flint started to walk and motioned for Tatsumi to follow. They jumped down and walked into an isolated alley with two people sitting against a wall. "Hey." He warmly said to them both. He sat across from both of them and was followed by Tatsumi. Both of the men looked oddly at the two of the assassins. "Hey, got a question I'd like to ask you. Have ya heard of anything happening in the district?"

Nope." One of the the men said and the other quickly followed it with, "Mmm hmmm." Flint reached into his pocket and grabbed two gold coins and held them up. Both of the men became wide eyed at the sight of the coins. "Although we might be able to think of something."

They both grabbed a coin and thought for a moment. "What about that guard?" One of them said to the other.

"Oh yeah, forgot about him." The other beggar said back.

"Who's this guard?" Tatsumi asked.

"Well one of the sergeants in the guard is...different." One of the beggars said.

"How so?" Flint pressed them a little further.

"Well, our district Guard Captain will often force people out of their homes under the gise of tax evasion." The first beggar said.

"I assume that's not the truth." Tatsumi mentioned.

"The Gods know I paid more than my fair share of taxes." The other beggar grumbled.

"But anyways." The other one started to say, "A sergeant in the guard commands about a hundred men or so and our district has five of them and they pretty much enforce the captains will within our district. Now this one, Boors, or was it Mors, it doesn't really matter anyhow. When the Captain orders him to force some people out of their homes he pushes it off as long as possible usually giving them enough time to move or eventually do something."

"The other sergeants also don't care what happens to us." The other one said muffled but still heard.

Tatsumi was slightly puzzled by the information about this guard sergeant. "What does he do exactly?"

"If one of the folk here were to...go missing and we reported to one of them other sergeants, nothing get done about it. Now if we were to report it to that Mors, he'd at least investigate and try to find the missing person."

"Would either of you know where to find him?" Tatsumi asked the two.

"Well you might try his guard outpost, it's over yonder, big black building with the Imperial banner flying from it."

"Thank you." Tatsumi tapped his hood and began to walk away.

He was followed by Flint who stopped him, "So what do you think?"

"About using the city's poor as an information network?" Flint nodded his head. "Well they gave us a lead on a potential recruit, and the coin will help keep the hunger off them." Tatsumi sighed and thought for a moment. "While I'd hate to involve those who are outsiders to our war, but I don't see any other alternatives."

"Alright you check out the guard and I'll try to find out some more information, maybe even lay the foundations for a permanent information network." Tatsumi nodded his head and waved to his friend as he started to walk away.

* * *

Night Raid's base

* * *

Night Raid had gathered into their meeting hall with everyone including Najenda standing up and talking about recent events. "So Tatsumi saved your lives?" Najenda asked Bulat and Leone.

"Yeah, he did." Bulat responded.

Najenda took a puff off her cigarette, "Ever since Tatsumi has arrived in the capital a month ago there has been several assassinations and disappearances of nobles and merchants that were corrupt and supporters of the Minister. Also he's saved not only Mine but also Bulat and Leone; not only that but he turned Zanku's teigu over to us." She took another puff from her cigarette, "While he's also taken various hostile actions against us, he has only acted in defense. All of these things point to him being a potential ally or even a recruit, if only we could learn of his organization."

"Could he possibly be part of another Revolutionary Army cell?" Sheele asked.

"No way," Lubbock quickly responded, "Command would have notified Najenda if they were going to establish another operative cell in the area."

Najenda stayed silent for a moment, "Was there anything that occurred during your encounters with Tatsumi that would give any clues to who he works for?"

"When he helped me assassinate Iokal we were ambushed by some group of people called an Assassin Hunters. The last one that we killed mentioned something about a creed and templars."

"Like the Knights Templar?" Lubbock said, "Mine, they're long dead and dust."

"Yes but he also called Tatsumi Assassin. Like it was some sort of like title."

"Zanku said the same thing about Assassins and a Creed." Leone interjected.

' _Assassin's...Creed."_ Suddenly everything clicked. The Robe, the skill, his references to his brothers, and that weapon he used his hidden blade. "N..N..no th..that can't be!"

The other members of Night Raid became concerned at Najenda's sudden reaction. "Hey boss is everything alright?" Akame asked walking closer to her.

Najenda calmed down considerably, "Yes it just I heard of something like what you've described. Soon after I became a general I began to hear these legends about an order called the Assassin Brotherhood from the other generals within the Imperial army."

"Well what makes them so special?" Mine asked, "Akame was a highly skilled assassin for the Empire for years."

"Akame may have been skilled she achieved her skill by enhancements, training, and Murasame but in the end she was more or less a highly skilled hitman. The Assassins however leave no aura, make no sounds, and no one ever sees them. The only thing that's left is a body. Honestly I only thought that they were a story long dead, but now.." She looked off as her voice trailed.

"Do you have any idea what they want?" Akame diligently asked.

"From the stories I've heard they despise any sort of system of order and wish to hurl the world into chaos. Although his actions seem to be different his targets have all been corrupt officials on Honest's payroll." She lowered her head and started to rub her temples. "I'm not sure on how to proceed without any further information." She sat back up and lit another cigarette, "On our next encounter with Tatsumi I want you to try and find out more about his orders motives."

"Alright boss." Bulat responded.

"In the meantime I have another contract prepared for you." She took a puff off her cigarette. "Bulat are you ready to fight again?"

"Yeah I think I'm up for a fight?"

"Good, that target are the heads of a local drug ring. Leone and Bulat I want you to hit their warehouse while Mine and Sheele assassinate their leader. If everything goes to plan we'll destroy the main drug smugglers within the region."

* * *

 _Back at the Legion of Doom_

 _Sorry wrong story_

* * *

 _Canal District, Guards Station C_

* * *

Tatsumi walked up to the counter with a tired looking guard sitting behind it. He waited for a minute or two waiting for the man to notice him there however when he didn't say anything Tatsumi decided to take the first step. "Hello."

"If you wish to report a crime one of our guards will speak with you, if you want to become a member of the guard you need to report to our headquarters in the district, or if you want to lotter I must ask you to leave." The Guard said in a deep monotone while never looking up from his paperwork.

"I came here to speak with your sargent, Mors." Tatsumi said.

"He's out on patrol, you might be able to catch him if you leave now. Normally he walks over to the bridge and back so you could start searching along that way."

"Alright." Tatsumi started to turn away and started walking outside, "Grumpy asshole."

* * *

 _The Canal Bridge_

* * *

Tatsumi walked up to the bridge and saw a guard leaning over the railing looking at something. Based off how he looked the guard couldn't have been much older than himself. Tatsumi approached closer to the bridge and looked over to where he thought he was looking. His gaze was met by the image of the docks being worked by large quantities of men practically wearing rags. Suddenly though he heard a voice come from the guard, "Do you think that when a system has been corrupted it is the job of good men to step in and do something?" Tatsumi looked over at the guard and noticed the symbol that signified his rank as a sergeant.

"Sorry were you talking to me?" Tatsumi asked confused.

"Na, guess I was just talking to talk." The sergeant stood up and offered his hand, "Name's Mors, Sargent Jeff Mors."

Tatsumi shook the hand, "Tatsumi." He looked back over to the docks, "So was there anything in particular that you were looking at?"

Mors looked back over to docks, "Everyday more and more people are forced to leave their homes for failing to pay taxes, at least according to the captain." Mors started looking sad as he watched the dockworkers go about their business.

"What's the reality?"

The captain stood watching the dock before answering, "Last week I was forced to evict a family of people from their house, however when I checked the tax ledger they had been up to date with their taxes and had started to pay off next month's. Along with the fact that I learned that our captain keeps the evicted properties goods."

"Did you do anything." Tatsumi asked awaiting the answer.

"Yeah I did. I alerted the Commander of the city watch who sent someone to investigate any reports of corruption. We both looked at the ledger and it was altered so that it said they were several months behind on their taxes." Mors gave a long sigh, "Long ago I wished to become guard to protect the people of the Empire, but how can I protect the people from the Empire itself!" He kicked a part of the bridge out of his frustration.

"Do you really wish to fight the injustice of the system?" Tatsumi asked.

"I do." Mors responded.

"Is there somewhere that you need to be?" Tatsumi asked.

"No at least not for another hour or so."

"Then would you care to walk with me? I have a proposition that I think you would like to hear." Tatsumi began to walk away from the spot where the two had talked. Soon though he heard the sounds of footsteps approach behind him and quickly caught up to him.

"So what is this proposition?" Mors asked.

"First we must go somewhere quieter, what I want to offer you is not for public ears."

* * *

 _Bismarck Cathedral-roughly an hour later_

* * *

Tatsumi and the guard Mors were sitting in a pew in the large congregation room. It was still the middle of the day when they arrived and hardly anyone but clergymen were in the place of worship. Tatsumi had just finished explaining to Mors who he was who the Templars were and what he was offering him. "So you're saying that my captain is one of these Templars?"

"From everything I've heard I suspect that he is." Tatsumi answered.

"So you're not one of these Night Raid blokes are you?" Mors asked Tatsumi.

Tatsumi looked at him strangely and shook his head, "God no."

Mors seemed satisfied by Tatsumi's answer, "Alright then, but before I decide to join this brotherhood of yours I must first know what do you want with me?"

"What I want is for you to be trained and then once we decide that you're ready we will induct you into the brotherhood but ultimately I will want you to become Captain of the guard within this district."

Mors was taken aback by the statement but soon recollected himself. "It would be possible, in the guard the district captain choose his or her successor, normally they place their sergeants in order of favoritism. However the Captain has listed me fifth, under the other four brutes that he's put in the power. If it is your goal to put me in command of the district you will have to assassinate the captain and the other sergeants at the same time so none of them have the chance to rewrite the succession listing."

"It could be arranged although first I want you to undergo training required to become an Assassin."

"Agreed, I will join your order." Mors and Tatsumi reached out and shook each other's hand and Tatsumi came one step closer to achieving his objective.

* * *

One week later

* * *

Tatsumi just finished hunting down a local Templar who had been fencing the property that the captain had been robbing from the people of the district. It wouldn't put Mors in command of the district's guard but it put them a step closer. He decided to cut through a local park that didn't see much activity at night besides from the occasional homeless person. Soon he heard the sounds of fighting and decided to investigate.

He was getting closer to where the fighting was happening but before he could get a got look at the fight heard her an ear screeching scream. "SHEELE!"

' _That's one of Night Raid's members and that sounded like Mine, I'll need to hurry.'_

He started to run through a heavily wooded area but once again before he could arrive something interrupted him, this time however it was a blinding flash of light. He walked forward but soon he something ran into him when he looked over at what it was he saw Mine standing there holding her arm. "Tatsumi." She said, her voice sounded as if it was off in a way, like she saw something traumatic.

"Mine has something happened?" He asked her calmly as to not raise her stress.

"Sheele she…" Tears started to form in her eyes and her voice started to trail off.

Tatsumi pulled her in and hugged her, "Mine it's ok you don't need to say it."

Mine looked up at him, she wiped her eyes clean of the tears and calmed down. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that." She said to him. "I'll need to be going, I need to be reporting back to Najenda." She started to walk away.

"No you can't." She looked back, "The guard will be swarming the area looking for you and escaping the city will be next to impossible. Come with me and I promise I can get you out of the city."

Mine stood thinking about his offer. She glanced at her arm and looked at the growing blood stain on her arm. "I'll come with you as long as you promise to answer some of my questions."

"Agreed now let's go please." Tatsumi said offering her a hand. Mine began to turn pink at his offer. Tatsumi started to blush as well when he figured out what she was blushing, "Um-I-um let's just g-go this way."


	8. New Order

Mine and Tatsumi arrived at the Cathedral the Assassins had made their home, but he knew that around this time many of the city's poorer would be taking refuge from the storm inside and taking Mine through there would be quite dangerous. So he decided instead to to take her through a secret passage only an Assassin could access that was located behind the Cathedral. He lead her into the alleyway behind the Cathedral, "Wait a second." He activated his eagle vision and scanned the wall and eventually found what he had been looking for.

He deactivated his eagle vision and approached the spot that he had picked out and wiped the spot to get a better look at it. He exposed the symbol of the Assassins Brotherhood with a small slit in its middle. He retracted his hidden blade, inserted into the slit and turned his wrist and a small passage opened up. Tatsumi entered the passage and motioned for Mine to follow him. She entered and he closed the door to the passage.

They continued along the passage for a while, "It's cramped in here." Mine complained.

"If you prefer we could arrange a meeting with the guard if you wanted." Tatsumi shot back, "But anyway we're almost out." He said right before she exited the tunnel and entered a large room that looked as if it would be used to train people for... something like fighting or maybe assassinations."

Tatsumi walked out from behind her and walked into the complex and lowered his hood. "Hey guys! I'm back and I brought a friend!" His voice echoed the through the complex.

"Tatsumi, where is this place?" Mine said following him into the complex.

He stopped right ahead of her and looked back, "Are you hungry?" He kindly asked.

"What?" She said back confused by his question, "Tatsumi I want to know where this is." He only continued through a hallway. "You promised to answer my questions." He stopped in place.

He glanced back at her, "The Cathedral." She looked at him oddly, "The complex is located underneath the Cathedral. Now are you or are you not hungry?"

"A little bit." She said back.

"Fine follow me." He lead her to the dining room, "Would you sit down, and I'll find something for you to eat." She sat down as Tatsumi left the room.

She studied the room while he was gone it was larger than the one back at Night Raid's base it could easily fit more than forty people. "Hello miss." A deep rough voice startled her. She looked back a saw a tall man in a white robe with an axe on his belt. "You must be Tatsumi's friend." He sat down a few chairs down from her. "So you're Mine of Night Raid I suppose."

"How…"

"Did I know who you were? I gather intelligence for our group here, and it's easy to notice the guard have been turning every stone trying to get their hands on you."

"What do you mean?"

"Posters, heavily armed patrols that are ordered to arrest anyone baring your description, every gateway in the district is under heavy guard, and several check points have been set up. They're even offering a five thousand gold reward for turning you in."

"Doesn't that seem a little overboard for one person?"

"Honestly it is but the alert only gives our enemies an excuse to declare martial law and continue the oppression of the citizens of the district."

"Who's this emeny? Are you talking about the Minister?"

"Yes and no." A new voice entered the room. When Mine looked over she saw another man in a white hooded robe enter the room. Unlike the first man and Tatsumi he kept his hood up so Mine did not get a good look at his face, but from the way he sounded she was able to tell that he was fairly young; maybe even around her and Tatsumi's age.

He sat down a few seats from both her and the first man. "Who are you two?" Mine asked shortly after he sat down.

"My name is Seamus and my friend here is named Flint." The second one responded to her.

Mine was about to ask them who they were before Tatsumi walked into the room carrying a plate of food. "Good it seems the two of you have already introduced yourselves." He placed the plate front of her when he sat down next to her. He turned to his two men, "Although it seems that Mors still hasn't arrived?"

"He should be here at any moment." The man who identified himself as Seamus said.

Who's…" She started to ask but was interrupted by a third voice.

"Hello Tatsumi, I'm sorry I was late there was some business that I needed to attend to before I came."

Mine looked back and saw a guard walk into the room. She reached for Pumpkin and attempted to point it at him but she couldn't move it well due to her injury. "Don't worry Mine he's one of my men."

"He was one of the guards called in by that Bitch!" She screamed at him.

"I was only performing my duties as a guard, miss." Mors said as he was sitting down. "Now we need to think of a way to get you back to you out of the city."

"Like I was telling her the guard has taken steps to ensure that it will be impossible for her to escape through the city." Flint spoke up, "The sewers could work but they're far too complex to effectively navigate and there aren't many maps, so that option is off the table."

"So we'll have to start an event that will force the captain to recall his men to one spot where we can assassinate them." Tatsumi said to them. He turned to Flint, "Do you think that we could use the people's anger and direct it at the guard?"

"Aye we could but it would take me a couple of hours to sow the dissent to cause a riot." He responded to Tatsumi's question.

"Mors, if we can start a riot in front of the district guard's headquarters tomorrow around nightfall could you insure your men aren't in the way."

"I'll assign as many of my men to watch the gates and exit points around the district." The guard said cracking his neck.

"So what my plan is that we raise a riot here." He pointed to the Guards Headquarters within the district. "Then we assassinate the other sergeants who will arrive to break the riot. Mors and I will infiltrate the headquarters and assassinate the Captain himself. That will spread chaos throughout the guard in the district allowing Mine to escape and propel Mors to the head of the district guard."

"WAIT!" Mine shouted attracting the attention of the Assassins. "Is that what this is about? Power! If that's all then you're no better than the Prime Minister!"

The Assassins were looking at Mine partially amused, "While it may be so that we are seizing power we do it to weaken the Prime Minister's influence." Seamus responded to MIne's little rant. "If we were to only kill those he's placed to hold his power than they would be replaced by another one of his cohorts. If we place one of ours than only can we use the influence to battle him but also weaken his power base.

"Alright, go and complete your duties. We'll start the riot tomorrow at dusk." Tatsumi said. The other Assassins started to file out of the room leaving Tatsumi and Mine alone in the room. "You should eat, you still haven't eaten anything." Tatsumi stood up and began to leave."

"Hey." He looked back at her. "You promised to answer my questions." Tatsumi sighed before he sat back next to her. They both sat in silence for a minute or two before either of them spoke. "Why are you fighting? You know why I'm fighting, but what about you?"

Tatsumi thought for a moment before he responded. "I've asked myself that many times." He thought for a little longer, "I guess I fight for the Creed."

"What's this Creed? I've heard several of our targets mention it but I've never heard what it is." She inquired from the Assassin.

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted." Tatsumi quickly responded.

"That's a little cynical, don't you think?" She said.

"The Creed's message goes beyond cynicism, for one to truly understand the Creed you'd have to think on it's true meaning. I didn't understand it's true meaning until many years after I began my training." He responded to her.

"Alright. Why do you fight the Prime Minister?" She asked.

Tatsumi thought for awhile before he answered, "He's the leader of Brotherhood's sworn enemy."

"The Templars." She said back remembering the name. "I thought they were an order of Knights that helped form the Empire."

"They were, but that was only a face for their order. They're still around today and work in the shadows, just like us and the Brotherhood. However unlike us the Templars seek to destroy free will." He retracted his hidden blade, "We fight them."

"How long have your orders been fighting?" Mine curiously asked.

"How long have humans been writing things down?" Mine stared at him with the realization of his statement, "Our orders have worked in the shadows even before recorded history."

"Hav…" Mine was interrupted by someone in the next room.

"Hey! Tatsumi!" They heard Flint call into the room. "We need you in here."

Tatsumi stood up, "I need to leave now but I promise I'll come back as soon as I can." She watched as he left the room. She started to eat the food that Tatsumi had left in front of her. ' _Nothing is true, everything is permitted.'_ She thought of the words that Tatsumi said. ' _What does that mean?'_

* * *

 _Later that night_

* * *

Mine awoke in the middle of the night. Tatsumi had given her a small room to sleep in while she stayed at their base. It felt odd to wake up in a different room in a completely different place and she found it difficult to fall asleep again. ' _I wonder if Tatsumi is still awake?'_

She opened the door to her room and quietly walked into the narrow hall. She walked around the near maze like base for almost half an hour. Honestly she thought she was lost and was about to leave when she walked into a dimly light chamber. She saw the four Assassins standing around a table in the center of the room. She hid behind the wall that turned into the hallway to watch what they were doing.

Unlike before the assassins were completely hooded and from the bit of their faces she could see they were completely serious and solemn. One of the Assassins walked closer to Mors holding a large knife in his hand. "For countless generations, our brotherhood has held this same ritual and spoken the same words. Are you ready to take the pledge of the ones who came before you?"

"I am." The man who she believed was Mors said.

"Mors," The voice she could recognize as Tatsumi's, "place your ring finger on the table." The man, who she assumed was Mors, placed his ring finger on the table. "Where other men blindly follow false truths, remember…"

"Nothing is true." Tatsumi took the knife and quickly severed his finger. Mors tensed but he didn't cry out of pain or anything, just continued to stand there.

Tatsumi picked up something from the table that looked like a bracer. "Where other men are limited by faulty morals or laws, remember…"

"Everything is permitted." Tatsumi attached the bracer to his arm. Mors flicked his wrist and a blade propelled itself from it.

Tatsumi placed his arm on his shoulder, "We are assassins, we work in the dark to protect the light. Welcome to the brotherhood."

Mine quietly crept away from the chamber with the words from the ceremony sticking in her head.

* * *

 _The Next Morning_

* * *

Tatsumi and Mine left the Assassins base early in the morning and were walking through the district. He temporarily gave her a robe so she wouldn't stand out as much. "Tatsumi."

"Hmm." He responsively mumbled.

"What are we doing?"

He moved a little closer towards her, "In order to sneak you out of the city we need to do a few things first."

"Like what?"

"Well, let's start here." He pointed at a poster of her on the side of building. He walked a little closer and ripped it off. "Most of the time this doesn't really help your notoriety much but it can help a little bit." He started walking away and was soon followed by MIne.

"So that's it, you just want to tear down some posters?"

They turned the corner on the street and saw a town crier, "Anyone who has any information of this dangerous criminal should report it to the city guard." Mine hid her face in her hood, but Tatsumi raised his hand to her and started to walk towards the crier. When he arrived he whispered something in the man's ear and handed him a bag of money. Tatsumi started walking back towards her, "BREAKING NEWS. As it turns out the criminal MIne has been found deceased! Early this morning a patrol of guards slew her."

"Come on," Tatsumi motioned for her to follow. "Now we need to pay a visit to were all those posters come from."

"What is the point of this."

"I'm teaching you how to disappear if and when you need to. I've also sent my men into the district to help lay the foundations for your escape. Seamus is paying off criers in the district. Flint is using our network to have several of the homeless to tear down your wanted posters. Meanwhile Mors has claimed to have killed you and found a Templar with a similar description of you."

"So than do I need to wait here until later tonight?"

"Yes the Captain could easily keep up the tight security and could still arrest you." Mine completely stopped in the middle of the street. "Come on Mine we're nearly there."

"Tatsumi, why are you helping me? Night Raid has attempted to capture you on various occasions. Most people would consider us an enemy, yet for some reason you continue to help us."

Tatsumi stood in place for a moment before he answered. "I'm sure you've heard of the various assassinations in the city." She nodded. "They usually get blamed on Night Raid which that's helped give us some breathing room. So as long as Night Raid is allowed to continue it helps the Brotherhood." He stopped. "Oh we're here!" He pointed at the sign which read, _Canal Printing Presses._

* * *

 _The Guard Barracks, That Evening_

* * *

"WE DEMAND JUSTICE!" One of the numerous routiers shouted, "Daily the Guard steals our property and sit it their barracks as high as a KING! BUT NO LONGER! TODAY THE PEOPLE WILL RETAKE THEIR LIVES AND BRING DOWN THE TYRANNY!" His speech was meet meet by an uproar of cheers as the mob surrounded.

"Well that worked pretty well actually, good job." Seamus said to Flint impressed that he was able to spin the crowd's anger to that degree.

"It's easier than you think. Say the right word in the right place at the right time and you can motivate people to do almost anything." Flint said to him as he was sharpening a battleaxe.

A group of men approached the barracks doors with a large tree trunk. Tatsumi looked at the event and predicted what they were going to do next. "Mors." He got the attention of the Assassin, "How long do you think those doors will last against them."

Mors studied the door for a minute. "The barracks isn't a fortress but they aren't first-rate siege engineers ethir." He thought for a moment longer, "I'd say ten to fifteen minutes."

"Where would the Captain be?"

"Right there." Mors pointed towards a window, "That area would offer the best view point over where the fight is taking place."

Tatsumi looked around the area taking in every detail that he could see before he finished his plan. He notice that a large house stood next to the barracks and had some windows on that side. He stood up and was followed by the other assassins, "Alright here's what we need to do. Seamus, I want you to stay here and cover the field while Flint covers the rioters from the street. Kill the sergeants as soon as possible. I will enter through there." He pointed at the side window. "That'll distract what guards remain on the upper level. Meanwhile, I want you to enter through the larger window. I'll break the window so that you'll be able to get the through and assassinate him."

"Got it?"

"Yes Master." They responded almost simultaneously.

"Then let's get to work."

He and Mors began to free-run across a nearby rooftop as Flint climbed down into the square and Seamus stayed in his perch to snipe at approaching guards. Tatsumi and Mors quickly made it to the house near the barracks. Tatsumi jumped across and grabbed the ledge. He waited for his body to stabilize before he reached into his pocket and smashed the window with a blunt piece of metal he had in his pocket.

He pulled himself into the room where the window had been. He quickly scanned the room and didn't see much of anything, it seem to be more of an store room. He walked out into the empty hall and looked both ways checking for guards. He walked towards the front of the building where Mors told him he would be. Soon after he arrived at a door which he opened he walked into the room. When he entered he noticed the Guards Captain standing alone in the room facing him.

"So assassin, I assume this riot is your doing. Is it not?" The deep voiced captain said.

"It is." Tatsumi replied.

The captain scuffed, "I assumed as much. You and your kind are such hypocrites, you preach peace yet you turn others towards violence. It's people like you that keep the world in a perpetual state of disorder and destruction."

"No, your actions caused this, through your actions the people's anger would have just been directed elsewhere. After we deal with you and your men the people's anger will subside."

"You Assassins are naive. Once you empower the mob than that's how everything will be run!" The window behind him shattered as Mors jumped inside on top of the Captain and his hidden blade entering his neck.

Mors lowered his hood as Tatsumi approached him. At that time the Captain had rolled over on his back. "Mors?" The Captain coughed some blood into his palm. "Why?"

"I did this to protect the people of the district from your tyranny."

"Tyranny! Is that what you think I was doing? I was helping them!"

"You stole their property, cast them on the streets, and left them to die, and you claim to be helping them! All you ever did was force the people into suffering and misery."

"Of course!" He coughed some more blood up. "When we humans suffer we become stronger for it. So what that I cast them out from their homes, they learned how to survive without them. So what if I took from their possessions, they learned how to live without. So what if a few died they would have perished anyways in the new world."

"DON'T ACT AS IF YOU WERE HELPING THEM!"

"Of course I was. When the recession came it hit the district hard. SO I maximized the suffering of the masses in the hope to maximize the strength of the people who lived after." He gave a groan from the pain, "And now no one will grow from this..because of...youuu."

"May you find solace from the troubles of this world." Mors said as closed the former captain's eyes. He looked at his finger and found a silver ring with the Templar's red cross in the middle. He removed the ring and gave it to Tatsumi who was standing off to the side.

Tatsumi accepted the ring from his apprentice, "We need to leave I'm sure the mob is about to take down the door at any moment." They escaped out of the window Tatsumi entered through earlier. They made their way toward the roof they meet both Seamus and Flint a few minutes ago.

"How'd it go?" Seamus asked sitting on the edge of the roof.

"Perfectly fine." Tatsumi responded. "What about their reinforcements?"

Flint pointed towards a large road coming into the square. "Right there, and the other Sergeants are dead as well."

"Good." Tatsumi started walking away, "I'm going to escort our guest out of the city now."

"Do you want us to help the people take the barracks." The doors to the barracks flew open and mob poured into the barracks.

"Only if you want to, the result will be the same anyways." Tatsumi said before leaping of the tower.

* * *

 _The City Gate-Canal District_

* * *

Mine stood by the gate waiting for Tatsumi to arrive. "Mine."

She looked back, "Tatsumi." They walked over towards the gate where he gave the guard a small passport. He motioned for them to leave. The two of them walked out towards the end of the gate house. They looked at each other for a short while. "Thank you for getting me out of the city."

"No problem. We should do this some other time."

Mine blushed from Tatsumi's comment. "Y...yeah sure. Bye." Tatsumi waved to her as they parted ways.


	9. Adelaar

_At a hidden location outside of The Capital, Two Months Later_

* * *

Tatsumi approached the clearing that the Mentor said he'd be waiting in. It was extremely dark so much that Once Tatsumi entered the clearing he dismounted his horse. Soon after three Assassins wearing the traditional white robes following an old man in a dark black robe carrying an oak box. Tatsumi slightly bowed to the old man. "Mentor."

"Stand my friend." He handed the oak box of to one of the Assassins.

Tatsumi stood back up, "May I ask why you've come to the Capital?"

"In your last report you said Esdeath had been deployed to the capital."

"Yes, she has. The reports that Flint has given to me say she's been using her highly skilled operatives, the Three Beasts, to assassinate several important bureaucrats throughout the Empire."

"My reports say the same, but that's not all. Most of their targets have been our brothers and sisters. A few weeks ago I received reports that former Prime Minister Chouri and his daughter have been assassinated."

"Chouri, the Master assassin?"

"Yes and he's not the only one who's been killed by these hitmen."

Tatsumi scowled at the thought of the murder of his brethren being murdered by these beasts. "Something needs to be done about them."

The old man smiled, "That's what I think as well. Which is why the council and I have decided to give you this." He opened the box for Tatsumi to look inside to see a sword with the pummel of an eagle's head and it's cross guards were it's wings.

Tatsumi instantly felt a strong connection to the blade, "What's this sword?" Tatsumi asked not taking his eyes of the blade.

"Adelaar, The Sword of Assassins." Tatsumi instantly recognized the name of the blade.

"Are you sure about this Mentor? Adelaar is the Brotherhood's strongest weapon." Tatsumi said to nervous to take the sword.

"Tatsumi, Esdeath and her Beasts are Teigu users themselves. Even though we train to assassinate the users of the famed Imperial Arms, we can not take a risk against them. Adelaar will give you an edge and even the playing field for your coming battles." The Mentor motioned for him to take the sword. "With this blade, you will destroy Honest and his Templars."

He slowly reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword and could feel the power of a teigu rush through his body. He stood back in shock but quickly took control of himself, but was far to focused on the blade and it's power.

"Tatsumi," The Mentor's voice called Tatsumi out of his trance. "How do you feel?"

"I don't know, I feel this sensation that I've never felt before. It's like something is running through my veins, but it's pleasant as well."

The Old man smiled, "That's good. It only means that the sword has bonding with you." The Mentor paused for a moment. "Do you know the story of this blade?"

"I've heard rumors but never the entire story." He said studying the blade that was legendary amongst the Brotherhood.

"A thousand years ago a king of an isolated plot of land was convinced by a group of knights to conquer and build the Empire that we see today. Later in his life he was convinced to create the Teigus so he could 'protect' his Empire. The Mentor at the time decided to create one as well but after years of conquest in the name of the Templars, the Assassins resources were limited and stretched. So he could only create one, which you now hold in our hands. After it was created he sacrificed himself to give it it's powers."

"What are those?"

"Adelaar is the physical embodiment of the Creed and the Tenets. The blade cannot cut the flesh or harm anyone who is not either a Templar or someone who isn't a threat to the common man. It also will casts an aura that conceals the wielder as a member of the crowd or at least have the person overlook them. And finally, it will drain the lifeforce from anyone that attempts to wield it if they are not either a member of our Brotherhood or unnecessarily compromises our order." The Mentor sighed. "Or at least that's how the story goes. I am unsure if that's true for none of the Brotherhood has managed to properly bond with the sword." He said while rubbing his forehead.

Tatsumi studied the blade a little more scrutinised, "Does it have a trump card?" He asked.

"Yes, it is connected strongly to the creed itself. However no one knows what it is as nobody's been able to unlock it for over five centuries."

"Why's that?" Tatsumi asked looking at the Mentor with confused expression on his face.

"No one is sure, but people believe that Adelaar reserves it's power for those it judges as worthy to wield." The Mentor said looking a bit hurt.

"How do I become worthy?" Tatsumi asked only to be met with a laughter from the Mentor.

"If I could tell you that it wouldn't have been over five-hundred years since it was last seen. But I am sure you'd be able to use it, I have faith you will."

Tatsumi looked at the blade harder. He was having a strange feeling that the blade itself was...studying him. He shook his head to remove the thought from his mind. It was most likely just his imagination.

* * *

 _Night Raid's Base_

* * *

' _Nothing is True, Everything is permitted.'_

Mine woke up suddenly and collected herself after she remembered that she was back in her room at base. She threw her face into her palms, "Why am I still thinking about that!"

"Mine." She heard Akame at the door. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'll be up in a minute, I just need sometime."

"Alright."

Mine got herself dressed and quickly rushed down stairs to the dining room. The rest of Night Raid were still eating the breakfast Akame had cooked up. It looked like some type of giant bird. Why they were having a giant fucking bird for breakfast, she had no idea. She sat down at were Akame had set her spot...next to the empty one. The others were talking about something, sounded like business but she wasn't really paying attention. Her arm was still out of action and thus was she.

She started to eat her breakfast and was thinking about the events of two months ago. She still hadn't told Najenda and the others about what happened other than Tatsumi helped her get out of the city. She had no idea why that seems like something you want to tell your boss but at the same time something deep inside of her told her not to. But she still thought a lot about him and his Creed. Even though it had been a while ago she could still hear the words Tatsumi spoke to her echo in her mind. ' _Nothing is true, everything is permitted.'_ Why could she not forget that.

"Hey Mine, are ok?" She was startled by Leone standing almost right in her face.

"Yeah! Everything's alright!" She yelled back

"You sure. You looked almost like you were brewing on something."

"No, I wasn't just thinking about something from the other day."

Leone looked at her for awhile thinking about how best to persuade her to talk about whatever it, but then decided to give up on it and sat back down.

"As I was saying." The boss started talking. "Several high profile targets have been assassinated but who we believe to be highly skilled Imperial agents. Their targets have all been comptant bureaucrats who disagree with the Minister's policies. These posters have been left at the scene of the crimes, are blaming the assassinations on Night Raid." She showed them a blood stained poster with Night Raid's crest on it.

"Do we have any idea who they are?" Akame asked.

"No, none of the Revolution's agents were able to identify them."

"Could possibly be Tatsumi and his assassins?" Bulat asked.

Much to her own dismay Mine's mind completely focused on Bulat's question. "NO!." The other members of Night Raid focused on her which made her uncomfortable. "I...I know it wasn't Tatsumi or his assassins."

"How could you be sure Mine?" Akame asked.

Mine lightly blushed at Akame's question, "Well you see…"

Leone's face appeared right next to hers making a kissing expression, "Oh, I think I know why you trust him. Tell me how far did you guys go!"

It was at that moment when Mine's face turned from a light pink in her cheeks to a light red across her entire face. "WHAAAAT! NOTHING HAPPENED BETWEEN US!"

"Oh yeah I'm sure. You still haven't told us what all happened that night. I wonder what you aren't telling us." Leone said with a smirk on her face.

Mine looked as if she was about to attack Leone until Najenda interjected, "Regardless of who's responsible for these assassinations they need to be stopped." She took a puff off of her cigarette. "Which is why I am sending you to guard their next most likely targets. Akame and Lubbock, I'm sending you to watch a food depot north of the city."

"Got it." They both responded.

"Bulat I'm sending you to a cruise ship to protect an important target, David Walsh. He's a bureaucrat that has publicly spoken out against the Minister."

"Ok boss." He responded.

She turned towards Leone, "In the meantime I want you to watch Esdeath in the Capital. The Revolution's spies are reporting that she's been seen wandering the capital, as if she wants to be seen."

"Got it." Mine could see the maniacal look in her eye.

"Remember, we can not allow the empire to continue to kill targets and slander Night Raid's name. We can not afford to let any of these impersonator's to escape," She took a puff off of her cigarette, "find them and kill them."

* * *

 _The Capital, Imperial Palace, Debriefing Room_

* * *

"So we've lost control of the Canal District." Honest said while grabbing a piece of meat.

"Aye. The Guard in that district has been arresting and executing several of our men under the guise of treason."

"Doubtless the Assassins are to blame." Honest gulped down a chunk of the meat. "We should take the time to re enforce our current holdings in the city until we take care of these pests."

"I believe we should take care of the Thieves Guild in the market district. So far they've resisted our attempts to integrate them into the order." One of the Templar said. "They've been making the Merchants Guild operations difficult to say the least."

"Then we find them and root them out." Budo spoke up.

"Unfortunately it's not that simple." One of the Templars spoke up. He was very well dressed with very ornately sown patterns on his coat. "I've attempted to locate them but they've avoided us like a plague."

"With the power and prestige of the Merchant's Guild, you can't locate them?" Budo asked holding back some of his anger.

"Well I…"

"These Thieves are remnants of the Assassins network that survived the purge. Of course they'll be cautious." Honest sighed. "It doesn't really matter I suppose. I'll divert some men to eliminate these thieves. It'd be better to destroy a potential asset rather than reserve it to the Assassins."

"I'll make the arrangements." Budo spoke up.

"Good. Now is there any other business that needs to be handled?" Honest asked.

"Yes there is in a matter of fact." A soft calm voice came from the middle of the table. Everyone turned towards the origin of the voice to see a man wearing a naval long coat with an Admiral's insignia on his right shoulder leaning in his chair.

"Admiral Woods. A pleasure to see you again. I didn't know you were returning to the capital." Honest said with a fake smile.

"I received a report that our favorite psychopath has requested a new outfit of Teigu users."

"General Esdeath has asked me to assemble a special task force to help police the Capital."

"This is bullshit. I was told to deliver my best soldier to her. I want to know why."

"The Capital is under serious pressure from a new Assassin cell there's also been a new Rogue cell of wannabe assassins known as Night Raid operating in the area."

"So out of all the potential Teigu users you had to take my best lieutenant?"

"I suppose you're right in that regard but from all of your reports don't you have the situation in the South Seas are under control?" One of the other Templars said.

Admiral Woods gave a long sigh. "Obviously you don't fight Assassins very often. Very well I guess I will pass on my knowledge in this field. The Assassin is a threat that must never be underestimated. You must be on a constant guard and always keep up your strength. Otherwise expect a hidden blade against your throat in the middle of the night."

The room was silent for moment before Honest started up again. "While that was quite informative Admiral I must inform you that the Capital is much more important to our order than your distant frontier."

Woods cocked an eye at him, "Is it because it's the almighty Capital of the Empire or because you're too afraid to risk your fat ass." The statement from the Admiral surprised everyone in the room including Budo. "Well I suppose it doesn't matter." He reached for his hat and straightened it on his head. "I'll be returning to my post now. Wave will arrive shortly, the boy is already packed from what I last heard.

* * *

Honest and one of his bureaucrats were walking through the Imperial Garden. "I do not understand why you tolerate his impudence." The bureaucrat said.

"I suppose you mean the Admiral." Honest looked over at him to see him scoff at the name. "The Admiral is one of the greatest Assassin hunters that we've ever had. In a case like that I'm willing to give certain...leanices. However I believe it's about time for dinner."

* * *

 _The Canal District, The Docks_

* * *

"That's a big ship." Flint said to Tatsumi.

"Yeah it looks more like a fortress." He said back. "You sure that this is the right ship. I don't want to make any mistakes."

"My network said that our friend boarded this ship earlier today. I don't see why we don't just tell him to avoid the cruise and put him under our protection?"

"He was an ally of the old branch of Assassins. When the Templars purged the brotherhood he was spared, which means they would have kept a constant eye on at all times. Now that we've setup shop in the capital I guess the Templars decided mop up some loose ends."

"So I suppose that we couldn't slip him out safely could we?"

"Not without getting noticed. Plus him being here will draw out the Three Demons. making them easier to assassinate."

"Yeah but I don't like the fact that they're choosing the field of battle."

"Me neither but we need to end them, they've been throwing a wrench in the brotherhood's operations."

"Valid point." Flint turned to Tatsumi, "Well be careful kid."

Tatsumi cocked an eyebrow at him, "When did you start calling me kid?"

"Just now." He slapped him on the back, "See ya later."

"Yeah I'll see you afterwards." Tatsumi turned back towards the ship. He started walking towards the boarding plank as a noble approached as well. He bumped into the Noble and quickly grabbed his boarding pass...and coin purse but that's not important. He walked up to the ticket officer guarding the plank and showed him his pass.

"Yeah that's legit, go on through." The guard waved him by and he walked up the plank.

He walked through the crowd that had gathered blending with the crowd. He looked around for anyone who seemed out of the ordinary. Which was difficult to see through the crowd even his eagle vision wasn't working. ' _I'll need to get up somewhere high.'_ He looked up at the massive mast on the deck. ' _That'll work.'_

* * *

Tatsumi pulled himself up into the crow's nest. He looked around the horizon to try and pinpoint the location of the ship. The ship had already gone a significant distance from the coast and were starting to sail out of the city.

Tatsumi then turned towards his attention towards the deck to try and spot one or all of the Three Demons. He scanned the deck with his regular vision without finding anything of note. He closed his eyes and turned on his eagle vision. He scanned the deck for a red signature or anything that wasn't normal. Soon he spotted something that peaked his interest, it was a bright yellow haze that looked to be in the shape of a person.

Tatsumi switched to his normal vision and looked at the same spot only to see that nothing was there. ' _I need to investigate that.'_ he looked down and around the crow's nest. ' _Now how am I going to get down?'_

* * *

Tatsumi landed on the deck, ' _That was convenient. It was almost like something or someone speeded the flow of events to a spot where he didn't have to inconveniently write about how I got down. Odd.'_ Tatsumi investigated the spot where he saw the yellow haze. However nothing appeared to be there. He turned on his eagle vision and saw a thin yellow trail. He followed the small trail that snaked through the deck and then headed down into the galley. He decided to follow the trail and quietly slipped into the lower deck.

Soon he thrown against the hull off the ship and felt someone's arm press against his throat. He looked up to see Bulat out of Incursio. "Tatsumi," The buffed out soldier snarled at him, "what are you doing here?"

' _So much for that aura. From what the Mentor said I should be able to blend into anything.'_ Tatsumi turned his thoughts to the man pinning him up against the ship's hull. "I'm here to protect a bureaucrat that's on board this ship." He managed to choke out.

"You sure, how am I supposed to know you're not here to assassinate him?"

"For the same reason I didn't stab you." He sternly said to him. The statement caused Bulat to look down seeing Tatsumi's hidden blade almost touching his unguarded chest.

Bulat let go and backed up as Tatsumi retracted the hidden blade. "So you're here to stop the Night Raid impersonators?"

"Yeah. So do you want to work together?"

Bulat sighed and thought for awhile, "So far from what I've seen, you seem like a friend. You've helped us when we only have tried to act with violence towards you." He thought for a little longer moment. "The Empire knows what I look like, the only reason I was able to board the ship was Incursio's invisibility ability. However that drains my stamina considerably so I can't watch the target for long amounts of time."

"So that's why you're down here."

Exactly. But there's is a solution, I haven't seen any wanted posters of you."

"You'd like me to cover the deck while you watch the galley."

"Yes. Do you think you could avoid being spotted by anyone?"

Tatsumi tapped Adelaar's grip, "Yeah I think I could manage that much."

* * *

The party had moved inside the giant fortresslike building. He found it extremely easy to blend into the crowd, guess it was true what the Mentor said. He watched the bureaucrat that he was suppose to guard, unlike the others in the hall that were gorging themselves he actually was pretty temperate. He only ate what little to satisfy his hunger.

Once when he was able to move close enough to hear anything that he was saying it was along the lines of, "...the current policies of this empire are abominable to say the least. They've caused the decline of the working class, complete stagnation of our economy which was once hailed as the greatest in the world, and the utter violation of the most basic human rights. It is at moments such as these when men and women must overthrow corrupt regimes and install one that will protect the things I previously listed out."

"Quite you." One of the other nobles nearby shouted, "you can't know who's listening!"

"Why would I care I have nothing to lose nor to hide." He responded back.

"That doesn't mean you you should drag us down with you asshole."

Tatsumi remembered the need for Assassins as he took a drink from a cup of punch that he was given. It was then that he heard a calm sound of a flute playing overhead. It started to make him drowsy and want to fall asleep. Somehow he managed to muster the energy to stay awake through the whole ordeal. He watched as everyone else around him dropped and started to fall asleep, he was very tempted to join them.

"I need to get out of here." Although he surprised himself when he barely managed to drag himself outside and into the courtyard. "Damn I can still hear it out here." Suddenly it stopped, he straightened up and started feel rejuvenated.

"Hey little fella, it's suppose to be nap time, and here I was going to let you live if you were sleeping."

Tatsumi looked back seeing a large brawny man with gold hair approaching him. "You must be one of those Night Raid posers I've heard about."

"Ha, does that mean you think you're the real deal!" He tossed a sword over towards him. "Gotta fight fair, I want some experience points for this."

"No thank you I already got my own." Tatsumi with drew Adelaar.

"Great! I like an opponent with passion. Now let's see if you got the skill." The warrior moved into a battle position with his axe drawn back. "Come at me!"

"Alright but it ain't going to be pretty." Tatsumi rushed the large warrior pulling his teigu back to cut him in half.

"I like an opponent with confidence. I'm going to enjoy crushing you!" He said as he brought his large axe down towards him. He was barely able to dodge the blow from the powerful weapon. Tatsumi jumped back far enough to avoid anymore attacks from the awesome weapon.

' _That's an incredibly powerful weapon. I think that it could be a teigu.'_ "I'm curious to know, your weapon is it a teigu?"

"Yeah, Double-Bladed Axe: Belvac" The man somehow separated the axe into two halfs. "Are you going to come at me again?"

"No, that battleaxe of yours would tear me apart like butter."

"Well then," He threw the axe at him like a boomerang, "then I'll need to come to you!" Tatsumi just barely ducked out of the way as the aze came flying towards him. The axe came back to his hand. "Come on kid just give up I doubt that you could even hit my my other one." He threw the other axe at him.

Tatsumi dodged the axe as it flew past him, "In that case I'll have to make it hit you!" He ran over towards the man with the axe almost right behind him.

"Lookout!" He heard Bulat's voice yell as he kicked two other men wearing the same type of uniform as this out of the air and crashing into the ship. Tatsumi however stepped close enough for the blonde man to swing at him. He ducked allowing the blade to pass over him unimpaired while the other that was behind him flew past and implanted the wooden door behind him. Tatsumi pointed Adelaar up towards the man's chest and then impaling him. He then withdrew Adelaar and swung the weapon at his neck which sent his head into the air.

Tatsumi slide Adelaar back into its sheathe as Bulat approached. "Damn Tatsumi." He looked back at the voice seeing Bulat in Incursio approaching him. "That was actually pretty impressive."

"Thanks Bulat."

"Nah, don't call me Bulat you can either call me Handsome or Bro."

"Ok B...Bro."

Bulat slapped Tatsumi on the back, "There we go, you got it." The both looked at the headless corpse for a minute.

"Hey thanks for getting those two off my back."

"No problem. You know back in my army days they called me hundred man slayer."

"I believe it was a hundred and forty-eight to be exact." They looked over seeing one of the men Bulat managed to get off of Tatsumi's back. Although unlike the other two who wore black crosses his was blood red. "You did a valuable service by slaying covert agents. I would know that armor from anywhere."

"General Liver?" Bulat questionably stated.

"Hello Bulat. Under most circumstances you would be my primary focus, but that Assassin standing next to you changes everything."

"How so old man?" Bulat asked."

"He's a Templar." Tatsumi answered. "We've been fighting them for millennia without end."

"Templars, but they're dead, an old story that people tell children." Bulat said out of disbelief of what they told him.

"That's what we would prefer you to think Bulat." Liver walked closer. "Bulat listen to me. Join the Templars and we can give you anything you desire. Wine, men or women, wealth, we can even give you peace you and Night Raid fight for."

"With the Prime Minister at the head of this organization. I doubt that much to say the least."

Liver scoffed, "That fat pig isn't fit to pour piss out of a boot with the instructions written on the heel."

"Than why do you follow his orders?" Bulat asked as if he were saying something harsh to him.

"This is only a temporary situation, we must first set the stage for his demise. Then and only then can peace arise. Isn't that what your Night Raid friends want? Peace. Please join us Bulat and you can give us the needed tools to overthrow this Minister and bring the peace we all desire. All that you need to do is kill the Assassin behind you."

Bulat looked back at Tatsumi then back to Liver. "No way. If I joined you it would destroy my image as a hero to the masses." Bulat said cockly.

"I can't believe a known criminal would call himself a hero to the mass." Liver said as he facepalmed.

"What I was trying to be modest."

Liver sighed, "Then I guess I'll need to do this myself." He removed his glove exposing a ring with a dragon's head on the outside. "Water Dragons come to life!" His voice echoed as two dragon like bodies of water sprouted from the canal's water. "This should at least keep you occupied while I deal with the Assassin my self." Liver and Tatsumi walked closer to one and another as Bulat prepared to fight the massive serpent like beings. "This is where you die, Assassin!"


	10. The Battle on the Ship

Tatsumi swung his sword at Liver just barely missed. Liver in turn slashed at Tatsumi, who dodged the strike. Then they both tried to swing at the same time and soon their swords collided with each other. They pulled away and swung at each other again. The sound of steel repeatedly rung across the ship's deck as Tatsumi and Liver continuously clashed swords with each other. Liver quickly charged at Tatsumi and powerfully brought his sword down onto Tatsumi. Tatsumi raised Adelaar up to meet Liver's own sword.

Their blades let out a loud scream as soon as they connected and both of the swords locked together. Liver and Tatsumi looked at each other, "You know for a child you're extremely talented. There were around five times within that short amount of time where I should have been able to sever your head, Assassin. The fact that you're still alive gives credit to your skill."

"Thanks your not half bad yourself old man."

They both separated and jumped backwards. "But maybe it isn't your skill entirely that has managed to save you thus far. That sword is a teigu, isn't it?"

Tatsumi smiled, "Yeah so what?"

"I've no idea where you managed to find a teigu but that you have one only makes our fight a little more...interesting." Liver opened his arms to him as if he was welcoming an old friend home. "So Assassin, why not use that power to help the people of the Empire?"

"What are you trying to say?" Tatsumi asked of him using a scornful voice.

"Join us. With the power of your teigu and the skill in which you wield it we can finally bring about the end of this war and begin about a new order."

"One where Honest is our king."

Liver scoffed, "I thought I already told you. I don't follow that fat bastard, honestly the order would be so much without him in the picture. But those plans don't really matter unless you decide to join us."

"You seriously think that I'd betray the brotherhood that I have dedicated and sacrificed so much to? Doing that would desecrate all of the friends and brothers I have lost."

"So I see we that we cannot come to an agreement." Liver said in a low voice and began to dig for something in his pocket.

"Of course not." Tatsumi raised his sword, "Shall we continue our battle?"

"If diplomacy has broken down then I'll have to put you down, Assassin." Liver grabbed a syringe and injected it into neck. Tatsumi watched as his veins in his neck began bulge and thicken as the stimulants began to circulate through the veins in his neck. "If I'm to going to fight you I going to need some enhancements."

* * *

Nyau rubbed his head as he looked at the battle between Liver and that hooded assassin. He had absolutely no idea what they were talking about but they were starting to fight again. He glanced over to the Night Raider wearing Incursio who was busy fighting Liver's Water Dragons. He was actually able to hold his own against them. Although when he barely managed to destroy one of them they would instantly rejoin and continue attacking him. Although the Water Dragons aren't suppose made to be autonomous so he knew that he would be able to hold them off.

He looked back over at Liver and his opponent, somehow the hooded man had managed to get his hands on a Teigu that he wasn't able to recognize. Without a teigu to use against him Liver would eventually lose. "I guess he'll need support."

Nyau grabbed his flute teigu Scream with a smile on his face. He put the mouthpiece in between his lips but before he was able to play his song he felt something enter into his throat from behind and exit from the front of his windpipe. As soon as he felt the blade enter his neck it left. He looked behind him and saw a tall man wearing clothing that was common among the lower nobility but with a white hooded added that concealed his face.

The man leaned down toward Nyau's ear and whispered, "Rest in the next life." Soon he felt a knife or something enter his the part of his chest where his heart lie. Nyau fell back and the darkest quickly enveloped him as he's taken his last glimpse at the man who had finally managed to kill him.

* * *

Liver and Tatsumi continued to exchange blows with their swords. Tatsumi was barely able to keep up with the former general as they continued their fight. Not only did his speed increase but also his strength doubled after injecting those stimulants.

Tatsumi raised Adelaar to block another powerful from Liver. ' _Damn I barely managed to block that.'_ Liver continued to push down on Tatsumi, ' _Before he was easier to keep up with but now with those stimulants I can hardly keep up with him.'_ Tatsumi was forced to give up some more ground. ' _Normally I'd introduce him to my hidden blade, but now I have use all of my strength just to hold. If only I could find a way to turn the tide'_

Liver started to give off a large sadistic smile. Suddenly he pushed against Tatsumi even harder than before which sent the assassin flying back. Tatsumi hit the ground and started to roll across. Eventually he stopped, when he looked up he noticed that Adelaar had somehow falling out of his hands. He franticly looked around for the sword. After a few seconds or so of looking he found Adelaar lying just barely out of arm's reach. He smugly smiled as he reached out for his sword, just as he wrapped his fingers around the hilt, Liver stepped on the sword.

Tatsumi looked up at the smiling general. "You fought bravely, you resisted bravely, and in the end you died bravely." Liver raised his sword, "Don't worry I'll do everything in my power to send your remains to your Mentor."

' _I need to do something. If I don't, he'll kill me and then he'll kill Bulat. Grabbing one of my pistols will take to long, but I still have my crossbow.'_

"If you have any last words nows the time."

Tatsumi glanced up at the general, "Yeah I do."

"Then please say what you need to."

"DODGE THIS!" Tatsumi yelled as he quickly grabbed his crossbow and pointed it at Liver's upper body. He didn't aim, there wasn't any time for that as long as he was able to hit him that was all that he needed. Tatsumi pulled the trigger back letting the bolt loose. Liver tried to dodge the bolt however to no avail. He was simply standing far too close to Tatsumi to even possibly dodge it.

Tatsumi watched as the bolt entered Liver's right shoulder. Liver took a few steps back because of the force from the bolt. He looked down at his shoulder winced from the pain that he was now experiencing. Tatsumi took the opportunity to grab Adelaar and stand up. Liver broke the end of the bolt off and locked eyes with Tatsumi.

Tatsumi studied the wounded general, ' _I think he mainly used his right arm to fight me. Now that I've wounded his right shoulder it weaken his attacks, or he'll switch to his left arm. Which will also weaken his attacks. So if were to rush him I know he would try to swing at me to keep me as far away as possible. So if I were to block it I could use my hidden blade to kill him.'_

Tatsumi switched Adelaar to his left hand and sprinted at the general. As he predicted Liver swung his sword at his as soon as he was close enough. Tatsumi meet the blow with Adelaar as he flicked his right hand which retracted his hidden blade. Tatsumi saw as Liver's reaction when he realized the position that he was in. Tatsumi took Adelaar and stabbed the general in the heart.

Liver dropped his sword and Tatsumi helped guide him down to the ground gently. "Good fight boy. In over forty years of service to the Empire that was one of the hardest fights I've ever had. The skill that you possess makes me fear for my order." Liver said with a smile and coughed up some blood.

"Please if you have some confessions or requests, you may share them with me."

"I've served under the biggest sadist in the Imperial Army I have more confessions than I do time left to me." Liver said increasing weaker.

"Than answer one of my questions. Earlier when you were trying to recruit Bulat you said something about dealing with the Prime Minister. What did you mean?"

"Do you think the entire Templar order follows Honest faithfully?"

"He's the Grandmaster."

Liver laughed, "He got the position by bribing the Council and holds the position by installing the most corrupt and decadent men in the order to positions of great power. He doesn't follow the order's ideals anymore and merely wishes to advance his own power. The last man of virtue who holds any power with in our order is the Knight Commander."

"What is it that Budo wants." Tatsumi continued to push his question.

"What we've always wanted, Order." The general said with hardly any life to his words.

"How does Budo intend to achieve that?" Tatsumi pushed inquisitively.

Liver weakly scuffed, "Do you think that I'd tell you that? You'll need to find someone else to tell you our secrets. I'm far to loyal to my order as you're far to loyal to your brotherhood." Liver groaned from the pain in his chest. "The difference, is that I wasn't...indoctrinated as a child to...believe that my...ideal...was...trrruuuuee." Liver said with his last breathe.

Tatsumi closed Liver's eyes, "May your god watch over you as you pass from this world." He then folded his arms on his chest.

He stood up immediately after giving former General Liver his last rights. As soon as he was upright he noticed Bulat watching him. "Why'd you do that little prayer thing?"

Tatsumi looked at him for a moment before answering. "When you take a man's life you owe it to him to give him his last rights."

"Is that one of your Assassin things?"

Tatsumi shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah you could say that. Did you know him?"

"Yeah, I did." Bulat sighed heavily. "Back during my army days I served under him. Hell he was almost like a father to me. But that all changed when the Minister arrested him." Bulat looked down at Liver's corpse, "Honestly I thought that he was dead, but apparently he reenlisted under Esdeath's command."

"I'm sorry that I had to kill him."

"Yeah don't worry about that. While it does feel a bit painful to know that he's dead he would have gotten in the way of the mission." Bulat said with a small sorrowful look on his face.

Tatsumi extended his hand, "It was nice working with you Bulat and I hope that we can work together later."

Bulat accepted the gesture and shook his hand. "I'm looking forward to it." They parted their hands, "Don't worry," Bulat started saying, "I'll tell Mine you said hi."

Tatsumi instantly turned a bright shade of red. "I...I...I... I mean w...we…NO! I meant..."

"Hahahaha. Don't worry Tatsumi I'm just messing with you." Bulat slapped the Tatsumi on the back.

"I'm sorry, I'm not interrupting am I?" The heard a third voice. They looked around for who ever it was the voice came from. "Right here." They looked on top of a stack of cargo and saw a man wearing somewhat expensive clothing and a white hood on top of it.

Bulat withdrew Incursio's key, "Who the hell are you?"

"Don't worry Bro." Tatsumi said to him. "He's a member of my organization." Bulat seemed to stand down a bit but Tatsumi knew that he was still on his guard. Tatsumi however turned to him, "How's your day my brother?"

"Fine, I was almost murdered but other than that I'm fine."

"Sorry to hear that but I'm afraid that I don't recognize you."

"Oh excuse me where are my manners?" He lowered his hood. Tatsumi had seen him earlier in the ship's ballroom, he was the Bureaucrat that the Mentor sent him here to protect.

"You're the bureaucrat from earlier that I was sent here to protect."

"I am." He extended his hand. "David Walsh, former Assassin in training."

"Former Assassin?" Tatsumi said almost as a question.

Walsh smiled and walked past him and over to Bulat. "If I may make a suggestion, the rest of the crew is going to wake soon. I suggest that you collect the teigu from my mould be killers before you're spotted."

Bulat looked at the stranger for a moment before saying anything, "Thanks for the suggestion. Tatsumi." Bulat nodded his head and walked away.

Walsh turned back to Tatsumi after Bulat walked away. "Now we may talk. What was it you wanted to ask?"

"What do you mean former Assassin?"

"My father was an Assassin and wanted me to follow in his own footsteps. I however preferred politics and the intrigues of courtly life. Eventually I stopped my training and joined the Imperial bureaucracy. However I learned many things during my life and I try to best serve the Creed and the Brotherhood as much as possible." He flicked his wrist and a hidden blade ejected out of his sleeve. "The old master of the Capital Assassins gave me this."

Tatsumi looked at the blade itself. It was stained with a little bit of blood and...AND HE STILL HAD HIS RING FINGER!

"Hey! Why do you still have your ring finger?!"

Walsh looked at him oddly and then at his own finger and then at Tatsumi's own ring finger. "Wait you guys are seriously still cutting off your fingers." He started laughing at him and then showed him his hand with a full set of five fingers. "Sorry about that. So who's the master of the Capital Branch now?"

"I am." Tatsumi responded back to him quickly.

Walsh looked at him oddly. He sighed, "Aren't you a little young?" Walsh shrugged his shoulders and just pushed on. "Well I don't think that you would lie about something like that. If you want I can send you reports about the Templar's plans with my network inside the Emperor's own court."

"I would appreciate that. Knowing what the Templars are up to would be a major help to me and the others. But are you safe? You do live in Honest's court after all."

"Just as safe as you are, but as long as the reports I send to you can help it's worth the risk. So where would you want me to send the reports to?"

Tatsumi thought for a moment, "Would you be able to send them to Bismarck Cathedral?"

"Yeah, the old Assassin headquarters. I'll make sure to send you anything of note that comes up. If we need to change the drop off just alert me." Walsh extended his hand to him. "It was nice to meet you Tatsumi."

Tatsumi shook his hand. "You as well." After they let their hands go Walsh walked away from him.

* * *

 _The effects of Nyau's flute teigu, Scream, began to wear off of them soon after Tatsumi's introduction to David Walsh. The incident however was completely unexplained as to what had exactly happened but theories ranged from gas leaks to aliens. People could make up the stupidest shit when they didn't know what they were talking about. As for Tatsumi he was able to get off the ship safely. But that night he had the weirdest dream imaginable._

* * *

Tatsumi awoke in his room at the base, however it wasn't really his room. Everything around him had a grey haze around it and a faint whistling noise. "Good you've finally arrived." He looked behind him to where the noise came from. He saw the familiar Black Robes of the Mentor facing the wall.

"Mentor?" Tatsumi said approaching the robed figure.

The figure turned around exposing his face. It was a grey shadow with to yellowish eyes and no other discernible figures. "Do you know who I am?" The figure's voice was different from the Mentor's. Where the Mentor's was calm and soothing, this thing's, was more like a disembodied screech.

"Ahhhh...I'd say a dream, but…" Tatsumi continued to investigate his surroundings.

"How do I appear to you?" The figure asked.

"To me you appear to be the Mentor of the Assassin Brotherhood, but…" Tatsumi's words slowed.

"Different?" It finished. Tatsumi nodded. "Where do you think you are?" It asked him while peering around the room.

"It looks like my room in the headquarters, but different." Tatsumi answered. He tried to grab a pen on his desk, but his hand just went through it. He looked at it oddly.

"It might have to go without saying I am not your Mentor." The thing said.

"Then what are you exactly? And where am I?" Tatsumi questioned.

"You are, or your mind is at least, inside the Sword of Assassins."

Tatsumi looked at the figure walk towards him. "You're Adelaar." Tatsumi said focusing on the warith. "However, weapons normally aren't sentient, how are we talking right now?"

"I have formed a connection to your mind that'll allow us to communicate. Although I can only speak with you like this if you enter a deep sleep, or of low brain activity." It said explaining itself.

"So essentially this is a dream, but I'm actually talking to my sword."

"Essentially yes." It said turning around.

"So why are we speaking now? You could have talked to me any time you wished, why now?"

"Because now is the first time you've used me to kill another human being." It disappeared from where it was standing.

Tatsumi began looking around attempting to figure out where he had gone, suddenly he appeared as soon as he had vanished, this time right in front of him. "Ahhhh!" Tatsumi fell back on the false ground and looked up at the wraith.

"I wanted to know what you felt." It said glaring into Tatsumi's eyes.

"Why, did you feel like it was unnecessary?" He asked back. Tatsumi stood up and brushed himself off.

"That wasn't my question." It said still glaring at him.

Tatsumi held his silence for a minute comprising his thoughts and the feelings he had had earlier. In his past he might have committed maybe a hundred assassinations, but this wasn't something he got asked everyday. He exhaled and looked straight into the fiery eyes of the wraith. "I felt it was my duty, if he hadn't died it would have been me and my ally in his place. I will mourn him as a great man that the Templars corrupted and I will continue to fight so more do not share that fate."

"Hmmm." Was all it had to say back. "Well I suppose you've passed the first test."

"Wait! What? What's this test you're talking about?" Tatsumi asked confused.

"It means I recognize you as my wielder. You will now have access to this blade's power, or at least part of it. Just remember, Tatsumi, that I will be watching you."

"Why?"

"I have taken it as my duty to the Brotherhood to watch the wielder of this blade. Adelaar is not just a sword it is the embodiment of the Creed and the tenets that live with it. Think what would happen if Adelaar's full power was used for one's self-interest and not in guidance to the Creed."

"So you continue to serve the creed by ensuring that your wielder truly continues to follow the Creed."

"Yes. As you continue to wield me you will find that that I will improve in ability as you prove to me your dedication to the Creed."

"Tatsumi, Tatsumi, Tatsumi!" Tatsumi was shaken awake by Seamus holding a sword. "Wake up there's something that needs your immediate attention!"

"Where?" Tatsumi awoke and unsheathed Adelaar.

"The Upper Market district." Seamus picked up Tatsumi's hidden blade and handed it to him. "If we hurry we might arrive before anything begins."


	11. Thick as Theives

Tatsumi and Seamus both were running at full speed across the rooftops. The Capital was a massive city and it took awhile just to move through just one of the districts, much less to the other side of the city. "Where's Flint?"

"He's already there, he sent one of his homeless network over to get us." They jumped across the narrow street to reach the building on the other side.

"What about Mors?" Tatsumi asked while pulling himself up to the roof.

"The Upper and Lower Market aren't part of his jurisdiction, if he did show up it would be awfully suspicious." Tatsumi and Seamus both jumped across the street and landed on the roofs of small shops on the other side of the street.

"Makes sense." Tatsumi replied.

The two assassins stopped at the edge of a house and overlooked the market bazaar. Hundreds or maybe even thousands of people were flowing through the massive construction. "Good you're here." Tatsumi looked back towards the voice and saw Flint approaching.

"Flint." Seamus said exchanging nods.

"So what is it you needed our help with?" Tatsumi asked while he started to kneel down on the roof top.

"That right there." Flint pointed at a company of soldiers marching down the road with two mounted officers riding at the head of the column. Normally they would pass for guards but it was their banner that made Tatsumi concerned, a red cross on a white field. "Whatever it is it's certainly important for the Templars to send so many men."

"How many do they have?" Tatsumi asked.

"I counted thirty men in this column plus those two officers. My network has reported roughly five other groups. They all seem to be about this size, all of them Templar troops not guardsmen." Flint said.

Tatsumi studied the soldiers, most had swords but a handful carried guns. Their armor seemed to be chainmail, unlike the guards usual plate mail. At the head of the column of men however he noticed someone. A man wearing a uniform of the Imperial Navy. Tatsumi recognized him from his earlier years in the brotherhood.

"Hide!" Tatsumi said as he jumped over the other side of the peak of the roof.

Seamus and Flint quickly followed, "Hey what was all that about?" Seamus said to Tatsumi

"I saw someone that I hope we can avoid." Tatsumi said as he peered over the peak.

"Who's that?" Flint asked.

"Admiral Roger Woods, commander of the South Sea fleet and known Templar. I meet him a few years ago."

"On an assassination?" Seamus asked.

"No. At Alamut." Tatsumi responded to be meet by several looks by his two comrades. "Ok they've passed." Tatsumi stood up and began walking towards the edge of the roof. "Come on we need to follow them."

"Tatsumi!" Flint yelled. Tatsumi looked over back at the other two assassins.

"Tatsumi, what's going on?" Seamus asked.

"Seamus, Flint trust me. I know what I'm doing and I'll explain everything to you later. For now we need to follow this column and try to listen to the Admiral and this commander's conversation." Tatsumi quickly looked around. "I want you to follow them from the roof tops and cover me while I follow them from the ground."

"If I see an opening to Assassinate the Admiral do you want me to take it?" Seamus asked what seemed like a normal question.

"Under no circumstance will you."Both Seamus and Flint looked at Tatsumi funny. "Just do what I ask you to and I promise to explain everything after we are done here today." The two assassins hesitated a moment before they nodded."

"Will you be safe on the ground?" Flint asked.

"Adelaar should be able to keep me out of sight unless I do something to attract their attention. Remember follow and do nothing to bring attention to yourselves. They both nodded and started to move along the rooftops. Tatsumi jumped down off of the roof and started to quickly move through the streets.

He quickly approached the column and started walking past the first few soldiers to the rear of the column and closer to the unit's commander and Woods. As he approached he began to hear whispers from them. "You should learn how to keep your mouth shut old friend." The unit's commander sai to the admiral. "One day the Grand Master is going to do something and I doubt anyone including Budo will be able to do anything to stop him."

"Prime Minister Honest, has driven our nation's people to Civil War and it's coffers empty. Doing these things are treacherous enough but doing these things for his own personal gain sickens me. Isn't that why you and your friends have been running around in the dark behind the order's back?"

' _So wasn't just Liver who was plotting against Honest.'_ He thought as he slowed his approach so the Woods wouldn't see him. Even though the Adelaar's aura that helped his stealth the Admiral was still a dangerous threat.

"How'd you know about that!" The commander yelled at him quietly.

"Don't threat dear friend. No one who would threaten your plan knows. Being so far from the Capital I have to keep my eyes and ears open. So I've acquired a small retinue of eyes to keep me informed of the goings in the city."

The commander sighed, "Well I've become just a bit more paranoid."

Woods responded to the statement by laughing. The two officers halted in front of a tavern and the rest of the column quickly stopped as well. "So wait is it that the Grand Master has you doing now?"

"He's wanting me to deal with the local Thieves Guild that's formed in the Market." Tatsumi watched as the commander placed a hand on Admiral Woods shoulder, "Be safe my friend. Do not travel into the Canal District the Assassins here have managed to capture the district."

"Worry not, I've booked passage on a passenger ship running out of a small fishing village to the south. I will see you the next time my friend." Woods started off and waved good bye to the man that he was traveling with.

"ALRIGHT MEN DISPERSE INTO TEAMS OF THREE AND SPREAD OUT! IF YOU FIND ANYTHING REPORT IT DIRECTLY TO ME! YOU TWO COME WITH ME!" Tatsumi watched as the soldiers quickly dispersed into smaller teams and scattered around.

Tatsumi quickly ducked into an alley as Seamus and Flint approached him from the alley. "Did you learn anything? I couldn't hear real well." Seamus asked.

"Yeah they're trying to locate and wipe out the local thieves guild."

"What are you wanting to do?"

"Well, if the Templars are hunting them, then they must have some reason. We'll have to stop them."

"How do you suggest that?" Flint asked.

"First let's find one of the soldiers and interrogate him. They've separated into smaller teams to try and find something so it'll be easier to capture him." Tatsumi looked at Seamus, "Seamus, cover me from the rooftops."

"Got it." Seamus said to Tatsumi before climbing up one of the buildings.

"Flint, I need you to lure the patrols into an alleyway so we can eliminate them easier."

"I understand." Flint said.

Tatsumi and Flint approached the corner with Tatsumi in the lead. Tatsumi held a hand up signaling for him to stop. Flint and him watched as a patrol of the Templar soldiers walk by. In the center was the captain that he saw talking to the Admiral. Tatsumi and Flint watched as they walked by. Tatsumi turned towards Flint and nodded his head.

Flint ran out into the street and grabbed a large rock. "You bastards!" The three soldiers looked back. "You're the reason for our problems! You and your fat minister!" Flint hurled the stone and hit the center soldier square in the nose.

The captain felt his nose and pulled his hand away and saw the blood. The Templar looked at Flint with fury burning in his eyes. "Gut him." He withdrew his sword and was followed by his subordinates. Flint took off down the street and was followed by the Templars. Tatsumi started to run after them but was sure to remain a steady distance from the soldiers. Suddenly Flint turned right into an alley far away the central market.

Tatsumi approached the corner and looked into the alleyway. The three Templars were backing Flint into the end of the alley. Tatsumi looked up at the end of the rooftop and saw Seamus sitting up on top of the building. Seamus was beginning to fix his rifle on one of the soldiers. Soon enough a shot rang out and the soldier fell. Tatsumi grabbed his crossbow and shot one of the soldiers in the back of the head to the right.

Flint grabbed the captain and disarmed him then pushed him up against the wall. "If you scream we'll gut you." Flint quietly said to in a low and threatening manner.

"Who are you trying to fool, Assassin? I think we both know what will happen at the end of this." The soldiers said trying to struggle from Flint's grasp.

"I promise that I will allow you to leave as long as you tell us what we want to know." Tatsumi said as he approached the soldier and Flint.

"Would you really?" The soldier as he stopped struggling.

"I promise that when you answer my questions to my satisfaction, I will allow you to go." Tatsumi said calmly.

"I-I-If I do the Templars will hunt me down." The captured soldier said with the smallest hint of fear in his voice.

"Then leave the city and flee south. I doubt Honest would hunt you across the Empire." Tatsumi said. ' _Of course he would but I'm just glad I'm a damn good liar.'_ He thought right after trying to calm the Templar into telling him what he wanted.

"Fine. What would you like to know?" The soldier asked.

"What are you orders? We know that you looking for the local Thieves guild, but why?" Tatsumi asked continuing his kind manner.

"The Minister has ordered me and several others to lead men into the Market Districts and eradicate the Thieves before they have a chance to assist you and continue harming our orders actives."

"Why not just try to recruit them? I'm sure that the Templar's would profit from it to have both the Merchant's Guild and local Thieves Guild under your control." Flint asked the soldier.

"We've tried that but we never been able to make contact with them. All we know is that they're lead by someone known only as The Rose. We've never been able to contact him."

"Do you have any hint to his location, or some clue that would help me find him."

"No unfortunately. No one has been able to find any information about him, his methods are cautious to say the least."

"Are you sure that is all you know?"

"Yes sir. I'm only a simple soldier, the Grandmaster doesn't reveal his plans entirely to me."

"Thank you, you've answered my all of my questions and I will keep my word." Flint retracted his hidden blade into the soldier's chest. "My friend on the other hand didn't promise."

Flint let the man's body fall as he cleaned the bloodstain from his hidden blade. "He's right you know. My network has been feeding me rumors about this 'Rose' character."

"What have they been telling you?" Tatsumi asked.

"He appears to be some sort of Robin Hood figure. You know the type. I honestly took no stock in the stories of this Rose, but if the Templars are devoting resources into this it must be worth looking into."

"Alright. Go and use your network to see if you can find some specifics."

"Got it. Flint began walking away as Seamus began approaching Tatsumi.

"What do you want me to do, Tatsumi?" Seamus asked when he got close enough.

"I need you to come with me. We're going to find this Rose and his thieves."

"How? I thought no one was able to find them."

"Well no one has looked the right way."

* * *

 _A few hours later_

* * *

Tatsumi and Seamus were walking through the market street. They hadn't really done all that much really, mostly just walking around. Tatsumi's also been buying a ton of stuff from the vendors, mostly just useless stuff. Seamus stood by the corner of a building watching Tatsumi buy an an apple from a fruit stand. Tatsumi started to walk back over by Seamus with his apple in hand.

They both began walking down the street again. "Tatsumi."

"Yeah, Seamus." Tatsumi said as he took a bite from his apple.

"I think that we're wasting our time. We've been searching for hours and found nothing, I think that if we were to use Mors's connections within the guard we might be able to…."

"Why would we need to bother Mors? I'm sure that he would prefer that we allow him to go about his mission of making sure that the Canal District is secure." Tatsumi to cut Seamus off.

"Well then how about we use Flint's homeless network to…." Tatsumi cut Seamus off again.

"If Flint found anything he would have reported it." Tatsumi took another bite out of his apple.

Seamus was starting to become extremely frustrated. "Fine, then what is your plan to find this Thieves Guild then?"

"First we must find a thief who will then lead us back to his boss."

"And how do you expect to do that?" Seamus coakley asked.

Suddenly a young boy ran into to Tatsumi and stumbled. The boy stood back up and looked at the two men, "I'm sorry sir." The boy immediately started to run down the street again.

Seamus, watched the boy run away and then looked at Tatsumi. "Did he just pick pocket you?" He asked his friend."

Tatsumi reached inside his pocket and withdrew a coin purse. "He tried anyway."

Seamus studied the coin purse and looked back up to Tatsumi. "What did he take?"

* * *

A young boy who looked about the age of twelve smiled at the haul that he pulled in. He pulled out the coin purse that he grabbed of the guy he just stole from. He looked at the coin purse, but something was wrong. Instead of seeing the nice and fat coin purse he expected, in it's place he saw a half eaten apple.

The boy looked at the apple oddly. "Didn't anyone ever teach you never to take somebody else's food?" Suddenly someone grabbed the apple out of his hand. When he looked back he saw the hooded man that he robbed, or tried to rob. The boy got up and tried to run away however he ran into another man similarly dressed as the one with the apple.

"If you're desperate to swap spit with someone I can show you the ropes." The second man said as he reached down to pick the boy up.

"Be nice Seamus, we still have some questions to ask him." The first man said walking up to him.

As the first man approached him the boy grabbed a small knife from his belt. However as soon as the he pulled out the knife out the man that had grabbed him held a wrist mounted blade to his throat. "Tell us where you boss is, **now** , or else." Seamus whispered into his ear.

"Or else what?" The three of them heard a new voice and looked towards it. To see a very nice looking young woman with a set of large….assets and long red hair. "Are you done? Good." She approached the the assassins and the boy. "I'll make you two a deal, let the boy go and I'll tell you where The Rose is." She said.

Tatsumi nodded his head signaling Seamus to let the boy go. Seamus dropped the boy and almost immediately as his feet hit the ground he ran off and out of the alleyway. Tatsumi turned towards the women. "Alright the boy is free. Would you mind telling us where The Rose is? I really need to speak with him."

The woman smiled, "First, why do need to speak with him?"

"Have you noticed the surge in guardsmen patrolling the district?" Tatsumi asked

"It's hard for a thief not to notice a guard, impossible not to notice a freaking army of guards." The woman said cockly, "However they're completely different from the common guardsmen that we've faced. Why are you asking?"

"We're members of an order that seek to fight the men that these particular guards are working for." Tatsumi said. "Seamus and I figured that if we could work together it would be beneficial for both of our groups."

"Well you sure know how to build trust." She said referencing the boy that they just released.

"It's not as if you left us your address." Tatsumi quickly replied.

"Fair enough." She said and started walking off. "Well come on I'll bring you to a nice place where you can talk without anyone hearing you. Although only one of you can come."

Tatsumi turned towards Seamus, "I'll meet you at Jacob's tavern." Seamus nodded and began to walk away. Tatsumi looked back at the young woman. "Alright let's go and meet your boss."


	12. So an Assassin walks into a Brothel

The building that the woman brought Tatsumi to was an older building but in extremely good shape. The design would be interesting from an architect's perspective; that, however, wasn't what caught Tatsumi's eye. "Why'd you bring me to a brothel?" Tatsumi looked at her and then back to the building.

"Now why are you acting all bashful on me now?" Tatsumi responded with a massive blush across his face. "Here I thought you were a mature big boy. I guess I was wrong." She sighed and then began to laugh at Tatsumi.

"Sophia!" They both looked up to the top balcony of the brothel. On top Tatsumi saw a man wearing a formal suit, had a pointed gotte around his chin and wind-blown black hair. "Stop harassing the boy and send him up already." He said before disappearing back into the brothel's top floor.

"Well you heard him," She said to him, "go to the top floor the office is the only room up there."

"Thank you." Tatsumi said. He entered the building. The center was open with a staircase that wrapped up around the outside of the room. On each floor were dozens of rooms and from many of which were coming faint moans of pleasure and a strange odor that he couldn't place.

"Hello there," He turned towards a young woman in a pair of extremely revealing clothing. "What are you doing here."

"I-I ahhhh I-" Tatsumi stammered out. "I need to see the man on the top floor."

She immediately straightened up and completely changed her tone. "Mr. Avery's office is on the top floor if you follow those stairs there." She pointed towards the stairwell behind her and walked away.

Tatsumi walked towards it and slowly walked up the stairwell. He counted six floors as he walked up to the final seventh floor. The Floor only had one door on it. Tatsumi hesitated about walking into the room, before he could it opened with the man from earlier standing in the door. "Hello." They stood there watching each other for a minute. "Are we going to talk or stand here?" He said watching him with a pair of disinterest.

"Sure. But first who are you?" Tatsumi ask.

"Well we could absolutely stand here uncomfortably or sit in my office." He said motioning a hand into the room.

Tatsumi walked closer to the door and the man entered as well. The room Tatsumi walked into was extremely luxurious and fanciful with. The desk in the middle had two chairs on the side closest to the door and the other side had a massive chair that it would seem that you would sink into.

"So." The man sat in his chair and formed an A with his hands, "What is it exactly that you wanted?"

"I was told that I could find the Rose here." Tatsumi said before slightly turning his head to study the room.

The man stared at the boy. "I promise there isn't aren't any traps in this room."

Tatsumi looked back at him, "How do you know I'm looking for a trap?"

He reached for his bottle of alcohol. "You Assassins are quite honestly paranoid to the extreme, it's not the first time I ever had to ensure a member of your order of my intentions."

Tatsumi froze in place and stared at him for a moment, "How do you know I am an Assassin?" He asked in a low voice.

He finished pouring his spirit, "I've had dealings with your order in the past. I use to work for an Assassin as a matter of fact." He drunk the entire glass before pouring himself another one. "Dear old Master Gabriel, oh how I will miss you." He started to drink his second one.

"Who was Master Gabriel?" Tatsumi asked cautiously sitting in a chair.

The man paused himself. "Well he use to be a man that referred to himself as the Rose, but after he was found with his head removed from his shoulders and most of the Thieves Guild's leadership dead I took that mantle."

"You're the Rose." Tatsumi said bewildered. "I thought the Rose was a Master Thief!" Tatsumi yelled, "Not some rich shit living in a brothel."

The man stared at Tatsumi for a long time, "Check your crossbow." Was all he said. Confused Tatsumi reached for his miniature Crossbow, problem was that it was gone along with his bolts. "Don't worry I'm holding on to them for you." Tatsumi looked back at the desk only to see his pistols, crossbow, bolts, ammunition, and throwing knives lying on the table. "So, will you kindly retract your statement about the Rose not being a Master Thief.

"I'm sorry." Tatsumi mumbled out as he sat in the chair opposing the Rose.

"Apology noted. So I'm afraid that we never introduced ourselves. My name is Lord Johannes Avery." The man said whist pouring two separate drinks. "However if you wish, most people around here call me Mr. Avery."

"So among a Brothel Manager, Thief, and Assassin you add Lord to your list of hobbies." Tatsumi said.

"I don't manage the Brothel, I just own it, my wife, Sophia manages the girls for me. And the title is just a formality, I don't actually own any lands or keeps, nor did I say I was an Assassin, I just worked for one." He said taking a drink.

"Then how did you get the title?" Tatsumi asked grabbing the other drink.

"The Prime Minister wanted a loan, I had the money, he had a title that needed to be filled." He said then took a massive drink from his glass.

"So what is it that you do then?" Tatsumi asked before taking a sip from the glass. Tatsumi then begins to cough and hack from the taste of what felt like fire entering his body through his mouth. "What is that!"

Mr. Avery smiled, "Dragonsblood Ale."

"What!" Tatsumi shouted.

"Don't worry the second drink is easier after the first has killed all the cells in your throat." Mr. Avery said continuing his mad hater smile. Although he then returned to his normal disinterested look. "So what do the Assassins want with me?"

"I would like to ally with the Thieves Guild to help combat the Templars." Tatsumi said holding his burning throat.

"So essentially you want me to work for you." Avery said board.

"No...I wanted to…" Tatsumi started to speak.

"Oh just save it boy, remember I'm a businessman, it's my job to read between the lines." Avery took a long swig from his glass. "However the answer is yes."

Tatsumi looked at him confused, "Yes?"

He grabbed his bottle. "Yes I am going to help you, under one condition."

"And that is…"

"As you may have noticed my little band of Merry Men isn't wanted around too much by the guards."

"It's hard not to." Tatsumi responded.

"I need to get the guard of my back. The issue is that they're controlled by a the head of the Merchant's Guild, Nimar Katar." Avery said the name in a fashion that you could hear the poison that surrounded that name.

"Do you want him assassinated."

"No, no, no, no, noooo. Not yet at least." Tatsumi looked at the man confused. "I've developed a small five stage program to weather away his influence and destroy his reputation, then and only then will we be able to kill him."

"So what do you want me to do? If you already have this planned out why do you need the Assassins aid?" Tatsumi asked.

"The issue comes from my people. They're thieves, not murderers. I've enforced rules for them to never dare kill anyone for their prize. Those that do are removed from the guild's protection. So when the time comes that I've deemed someone must die for our guild to continue…"

"You have no one to rely on." Tatsumi finished.

"Exactly the issue." He said with a small hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

The was a slight pause in the room between them before he spoke again. "So what's this plan that you want the Assassins to execute?"

Avery stood up and motioned for him to follow him. Tatsumi looked at him as he walked towards the bookshelf, and then Tatsumi decided to follow him. Mr. Avery started to count the books that he had on his bookshelf once he touched the book on the second to top shelf and the seventeenth to the left, he pressed it in causing the entire shelf to pop loose. Mr. Avery pulled it out and swung it out on it's hinges. "After you."

Tatsumi entered the room to see an almost empty room besides a table. He walked closer to the table and began to study it. "This is a model of the Upper and Lower Market districts!" Tatsumi excitedly said to Avery.

"It is, this is where Sophia and I run the Thieves Guild Operations." He said calmly approaching the table next to Tatsumi. "So as for my plan the first step to destroy any man's standing is to plant doubt amongst his supporters and superiors." He pointed to a small narrow street. "Later tonight a prisoner convoy will be moving through this road. I want you to save my men."

"How will that help? I understand wanting to free your men but I don't see how this will help our efforts to free the Market Districts?" Tatsumi asked.

"I will have men stationed by to sound the alarm once my men and yours escape." He pointed at the Market District's Guard Headquarters. "After the confusion I will have a corrupted guardsmen pass on a tip to his superiors saying the men that took down the convoy bore the sigil of the Katar family." Avery said without taking his eyes off the table.

"What will that do?" Tatsumi asked.

"Nothing, overall." Avery said. "But the Guard by law must investigate this claim. Their investigation will turn up nothing but people within the Merchant Guild will have the seeds of doubt planted about Katar." Tatsumi could see the hint of a smile form across the older man's face.

"What's next?" Tatsumi asked

"Let us take this one step at a time, shall we? Plus for the next stage of the plan we should wait for the perfect timing." Mr. Avery reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a parchment of paper. "You should check this out."

Tatsumi read the parchment, "So the Templar's favorite is putting on a tournament tomorrow. You know, I've never understood why she is used by them. Someone like her is far too much of a risk don't you think to their new world order?"

Avery scoffed at Tatsumi's words. "Well Esdeath is a little more than just another crazy general with an army. You should check this out, there's a cash prize. It would also get you a look at an unavoidable obstacle to defeating the Templars." Mr. Avery said.

Tatsumi thought about it for a while, "Well the Brotherhood does require funding. But first I have some business to attend to." Tatsumi slid the flyer into his robe and slowly walked towards the entrance to the room.

"I'll be waiting for news about my men." Mr. Avery said to him as he left

* * *

 _Far to the East_

* * *

 _Kyoroch City, the Jewel of the East. Home to a new and predominate religion within the Empire, The Path of Peace. Their headquarters are where this part of our story takes place._

A long white haired man walked into a large room followed by two guards in white robes and masks. The room had no windows or anything but in the center lied a round table with men and women seated around it wearing the same hooded white robes as the man who just entered the room and sat at the head of the table.

He looked up and spoke to everyone that gathered. "Greetings my brothers. As some of you may know I have called us into this meeting to deal with an issue that I believe is pressing to our Brotherhood."

"You mean the Chancellor Rodrick's Assassination." One of the men spoke up.

"Yes." The white haired man said.

"We still have no idea if he was murdered! He was quite drunk after all and as we all no he was not a man of excess." One of the other men said. "Honestly he could have just died from the Alcohol."

"That is possible, although highly doubt it." A third man said. "While the Chancellor you knew wasn't a man a excess, I knew long before. The Assassins and the Path changed him in many ways needless to say."

The white haired man cleared his throat quietly but just loud enough to get everyone's attention. "Yes, Assassination or not that still leaves the problem of who to replace him. For as long as The Path of Peace has been offering services to the people, a member of the Eastern Assassins Council has sat as chancellor. The problem arises in that many parties within our church that are unaware of the brotherhood have been pushing for a cleric know as Bolic to take Rodrick's position."

"I say let him." An additional person said. "The position of Chancellor really doesn't mean much anyway."

"Besides of course the Chancellor is the man that replaces our Master in the event of his demise." Someone sitting close to the white haired man said.

"Firat." The white haired man said. "It is alright, trust me, I plan not to leave this world anytime soon."

The man, Firat, bowed his head, "Yes my lord. I am sorry."

The white haired man then turned back to everyone else. "So are we in agreement then? Name Bolic to the position of Chancellor to avoid the people's wrath."

Their was a unified, "AYE." From everyone sitting at the table.

"Then I believe that is that. Our other matter of business," The man pulled out an unsealed envelope from his robe. "I have received a request from the Revolutionary army."

* * *

"So Tatsumi," Mors said to his friend, "tell me why we're attacking an official prison convoy to secure some prisoners." He said a slightly disapproving tone. The Assassins were standing on a rooftop looking over a small narrow street. Seamus and Flint were standing close by as well.

"We need an alliance with the Thieves Guild to secure this part of the city. Additionally these guards are working for the Templars, therefore we have every purpose to kill them." Tatsumi said to his subordinate.

"Alright put that way I can almost get behind this." Mors said making it a point to have his annoyance heard.

Seamus quickly spoke up to break the growing tension. "So what's the plan hear Tatsumi?"

Tatsumi scanned the small alley, the convoy was already coming down the path towards them. The convoy consisted of three wagons and, what he believed, around 30 men. In front of the convoy was a woman in thick plate mail and atop a horse. She was obviously the leader of the group. Fortunately for them the alleyway worked towards their advantage as because of the carriages only one man could pass on either side of it.

"Ok, what we're going to do is launch a two way attack. I'll kill the convoy's leder there." He said ashe pointed to the woman. "Meanwhile, Mors and Flint, I want you to land behind the second carriage a minute after I kill the leader and prevent any reinforcements from arriving to me."

"What do you want me to do?" Seamus asked.

"I want you to stay on the roof tops and provide support to us." Tatsumi said. He turned around towards the others. "Alright we're only going to have one chance to do this, let's make sure we can accomplish this mission. We've all come this far let's make sure it doesn't end today."

The other Assassins nodded their heads.

Tatsumi looked back to the street seeing the women closing in towards the killzone. He exhaled and quickly sprinted towards the edge of the roof leaping towards the woman. Half way through the air he flicked his wrist letting loose his hidden blade.

He fell closer and closer towards the convoy's captain, he thrust the opened blade into the woman's neck cutting an artery. The force of his body pushed her down off the horse. Tatsumi useused her body to break his fall. He withdrew his blade and shortly thereafter a pool of blood quickly began to form around the woman.

The convoy's guards quickly began to rush towards him with their weapons drawn. Tatsumi allowed his hidden blade to slide back into its sheath as he reached for Adelaar and throwing knives.

He threw his first blade at a soldier, the blade lodged itself into his skull and he immediately dropped towards the ground. He used a second another which punctured his collar bone. The man dropped to the ground clenching his collar bone however Tatsumi's second knife punched through his armor and pierced his heart. "Ahhhhh!" Tatsumi quickly looked at the sound's origin. A soldier with his sword raised over his head came charging at Tatsumi. He quickly raised Adelaar up to meet the blade. Upon meeting Tatsumi plunged his hidden blade into his throat and guided the body to the ground.

Soon after a fourth man quickly charged him. Tatsumi quickly braced himself to fight the man but a loud sound ran through the alleyway and he dropped. Tatsumi looked up to the origin of the sound which came from top of a roof. There he saw Seamus reloading his rifle and nod to him.

"Ahhhhh!" Tatsumi looked up to see Flint and Mors jump from the rooftops and quickly start killing multiple men. Tatsumi saw Flint swing his battleaxe and decapitate one man, cleve through the upper chest of another, and plant it's head into a third; all on the same swing.

Mors meanwhile elegantly carved his way threw the troops. After being with the Assassin's for merely a handful of months he was already accustomed to fighting like a senior assassin. For some reason he had chosen to equip himself with a short sword and a dagger. Mors cut deeply into the stomach of one of the soldiers causing him to collapse with his organs slowly spewing out. Next he took his knife and stabbed another soldier repetitively in the face. While he was finishing the one soldier a large soldier in heavy armor came charging at him. Mors quickly reacted by rolling under his sword arm while he was in mid-swing. The dodged blow instead hit one of the guardsmen.

The heavy-plated soldier paused for a second, however, Mors took advantage of the situation and punched his sword through the weaker part of the rear plate armor. The man screamed in pain and fell to his knees as Mors sweep his sword through his neck. All the time Seamus was firing his rifle and snipe soldiers in the alley. Not even after five minutes since Mors, Seamus, and Flint had joined the remaining guardsmen quickly turned around and ran away from the fight.

Flint and Mors approached Tatsumi while Seamus jumped down from the roof and ran towards him. "So what should we do about them?" Flint asked.

"Leave them." Tatsumi said. "I doubt that they'll be much of a problem. They left what we came for didn't they." The Assassins walked towards the three carriages.

The men inside coward from the Assassins as they approached. "W-Who are you." One of the men in the first carriage asked.

"You should bless your lucky stars, if you believe in that sort of thing boy. We were sent by the Rose to spring you and your cohorts from an untimely demise." Mors replied.

The Thieves literally jumped. "The boss sent ya!" Was the comman reply.

"He did." Tatsumi responded to him. Tatsumi pulled out a lockpick and started to fiddle around with it. "Seamus and Mors would you guys mind dealing with the other ones?" Continuing to mess around with the lock. "Damn!" Tatsumi looked at the lock for a minute before turning to Flint. "Do you want to deal with this?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Sure." He pulled his pistol out and shot the lock causing it to fly away.

"Flint!" Tatsumi shouted.

"What?" He said calmly.

Tatsumi just shook his head annoyingly and opened the gate for the carriage allowing the men to leave. One-by-one the men filed out. Tatsumi was able to notice the other two carriages were emptied by now. Once out the thieves quickly fled the location, besides one. He was a tall and lean man with ruffled blonde hair. His odor wasn't the greatest but that could be pardoned due to the conditions he just stepped out of.

He quickly stuck out his hand. "Thank you, sir. I make sure Mr. Avery hears of this. Name's Georges Mason."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Mason." Flint said while Tatsumi accepted the handshake.

"Well I need to head out. Be seeing you again." The man quickly left them.

"So what's next kid." Flint quietly asked Tatsumi.

"Well I'm going to get some sleep and compete in Esdeath's contest tomorrow." Tatsumi said. "Could you handle the rest of this?"

Flint nodded and waved him away. Afterwards he turned back and yelled. "Well good luck and don't get kidnapped! Otherwise I'll have to go and rescue ya." In a joking manner.

* * *

That's at least what Tatsumi remembered as Esdeath strapped a collar around his neck and started dragging him away.

* * *

 ** _Authors Notes_**

 ** _Well, It's been a really long time but I'm back. So again thanks for reading and I'll see you next time._**


	13. The Empire's Strongest

"If you have any swords or the such please leave them here. I can assure you that they will be protected, or if you wish you could leave them with your friend." The man pointed at Mors. After freeing the Thieves last night Tatsumi wished to bring Mors with him to the arena for Esdeath's competition.

"I'll gladly hold your things for you Tatsumi." Mors said. Unlike most days where they would have been wearing their robes, today they were where in casual civilian apparel. They were after all in the heart of the Templar's territory.

"Alright." Tatsumi withdrew Adelaar and handed it to Mors. Then he reached to his dual revolvers and a pouch of ammunition handed them over as well. The registry man was expecting Tatsumi to then say something along the lines of, "Oh that's all my weapons." But nope. Instead he handed over a small crossbow, a pouch of bolts, three belts which held ten throwing knives each, and a satchel of grenades. Then he removed what looked like a bracer from his arm.

In shock the registry man pressed the register sheet forward. "Sign here, please."

Tatsumi quickly penned in his name and the words, ' _The Blacksmith'_ in the line for him. The man took it. "The competition will begin shortly. When you're ready just walk through those doors and wait your turn like everyone else."

Mors and Tatsumi walked towards the door. "Well be careful Tatsumi." Mors said right before the young master walked through the door the man pointed to.

Tatsumi smiled at him, "Aww, you concerned about me my friend?"

"Well the thing is, the gold is alot, I'm sure someone is going to cheat at least a little bit. Then there's the problem of Esdeath." Mors said worried.

"Oh come on she can't be as bad as everybody says." Tatsumi said confidently as he reached for the door.

-x-

Tatsumi shook his head as he just started to wake up. He quickly tried to move but couldn't. He looked around to try and find out where the hell he was. After struggling for awhile he discovered that he was, for some reason, placed in an extremely luxuriously furnished room, and additionally tied to a chair. Which he had to admit would be an awesome chair minus the kidnapping thing. Thus Tatsumi set about trying to free himself from his situation.

"Ok." He flicked his wrist expecting his hidden blade to pop-out but nothing happened. "Damn that's right I gave it to Mors." He muttered. "Well I hope that they're at least doing well now."

-x-

 _The Bismarck Cathedral_

-x-

Mors, Flint, and Seamus were gathered around the table. "Tatsumi has been captured?" Seamus asked.

"Yes. General Esdeath captured him and dragged him off to the Imperial Palace, literally." Mors said sorrowfully. "He also gave me his equipment before he went into the Arena, including his hidden blade."

"So Tatsumi is in the heart of the Templar's seat of power, alone, without any weapons, and in the captivity of the Templar's greatest ally, additionally we have no way of helping him." Seamus said.

"I wouldn't say he's alone." Flint pointed out.

"What do mean?" Seamus asked.

"Remember that bureaucrat that he recused on that cruise ship, Walsh was his name I believe." Flint pointed out. "I have his report from the Imperial court for Tatsumi right here."

"I don't think we should worry though, Tatsumi is probably the most skilled amongst us. As long as he hasn't been thrown in the Palace's dungeons he is safe. As long as he keeps his head out of that much trouble." Mors said calmly.

-x-

 _The Imperial Palace_

-x-

"This is Tatsumi, he is going to be our newest member." Esdeath pointed Tatsumi out to the group of people sitting at the long table. In the group he noticed a man with a gas mask on, that one girl who killed Sheele, some professor looking guy, a girl that looked similar to the Akame woman from Night Raid, a guy that looked a little more wide eyed and idealistic than healthy, and finally a guy that honesty looked, like an angel. "I will personally…"

Tatsumi slowly started to examine the Jaegers subtly and tone Esdeath's monologue out. ' _So, these are the Jaegers. Esdeath's special police. They honestly don't look like much, although there is that one legend that if two Teigu users duel one or both will die. However, supposedly Adelaar is the embodiment of the Creed and Nothing is true.'_ Although his examination of the Jaegers had one of the members stand out. The Professor or doctor guy.

Unlike everyone else who was intently listening to Esdeath, he was staring at Tatsumi. It was almost like he was studying him right back...or checking him out. Either way this doctor might be a major threat sooner or later.

"Tatsumi?" He looked back at Esdeath who was standing over Tatsumi concerningly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Sorry I just got distracted." He responded.

"Oh. Well then, we're about to eat breakfast." She said as she sat down next to him.

Soon thereafter some food appeared before them and Esdeath started to begin to pick up his fork and attempt to feed him. Tatsumi for his part however wasn't going to have any of it. He wasn't going to sit and have the madwoman treat him like a child. Although, Esdeath's reputation wasn't the best, but then there was what she said to him last night. Given everything he figured it would be best to pursue a diplomatic route, "Miss Es- **DUMM!** " As soon as he opened his mouth she rammed to fork load of food into his mouth. He swallowed, and exhaled. "Miss Esdea- **UMMM!** " She repeated herself and interrupted the young Assassin.

' _Alright, I've learned, let's try a more direct route.'_ He swallowed and soon after Esdeath started to bring the fork back up to him. To which Tatsumi turned his head away from it and started to speak his mind. "Miss Esdeath, I think I can feed myself!" He said and then turned back to her. She looked at him in a little bit of shock and confusion. "Besides don't you think you should also be eating as well?"

She thought for a moment before replying. "Why yes of course. I suppose I must." She then turned her attention to her own meal.

Even though Tatsumi didn't have to deal with Esdeath shoving food down his throat there was one more problem. "Hey ummm, Miss Esdeath, could you untie me as well?"

"Oh, yes of course." She reached over and pulled a piece of rope out. "There you go Tatsumi." She said with a smile.

And so he started to dig in and eat his food. Although he slowly began to study his surroundings. The chandelier above the table could be made use of he he was hard pressed and the window could be used as an emergency get away if he had to. Additionally there were knives all around the table that he could make use of. "Tatsumi?" He snapped out of his state of mind. "Did you hear me at all?"

"No sorry I was… sorta in my own little world." He admitted.

"As I was saying. I think it would be good for you to be familiar with the Imperial palace. After all, you'll be living here from now on. Sadly I'll be unable to show you it myself as I a briefing to attend on the Prime Minister's urging." She sighed. "So instead I've asked Run to aid you."

She pointed to the more angelic man who responded by smiling. "I'm sure it'll be pleasure. In fact you look like you're mostly finished there, so why don't we begin our commute."

Tatsumi confusingly looked down to see that for the most part his meal had all but disappeared. "Oh, of course we can go now." He said standing up. He and Run walked to the door and left.

-x-

"And here we have the armory." Run said to Tatsumi.

"Hmm." Tatsumi replied back.

The two continued down the hall. "You know Tatsumi. You're not exactly what I expected you'd be like." Run randomly said.

"Huh. What do you mean by that?" Tatsumi asked.

"Oh, nothing much. You're a blacksmith though correct?" He asked.

"Yes." Tatsumi quickly said back to maintain his cover.

"Well that's actually a good accomplishment considering your youth." Run said as though it was trivial.

"W-what do you mean?" Tatsumi said stumbling with his words for a second.

"I mean that the skills that it takes to become a blacksmith take years to master, most your age in the profession are apprentices." He said.

Sensing that he was now stuck in a chess match of words that he was now on the losing side of he had to take steps to turn the course or to, at the least hold his ground. "Well thanks for the compliment." Tatsumi said.

"However I've also seen your skill first hand. I must say it's quite impressive, too impressive for a blacksmith." Run said in a much darker tone. "I don't know who you are Tatsumi, but if find out you are a threat I won't hesitate to eliminate you." The light haired man stared into Tatsumi's eyes. They stood there staring at each other, two great men.

"Tatsumi, Run?" Esdeath said walking up to the two. They quickly resumed positions of normalcy. "What's going on."

Tatsumi quickly made something up. "We just had an argument, it won't happen again." He replied to the general. She stood there questioningly looking at the boys before shaking it out of her mind.

She then turned her attention entirely to Tatsumi. "Tatsumi, I have fantastic news for you." She withdrew a small envelope. "I've been invited as guest of honor to an Imperial ball tonight. I've also been given a plus one, so you can come along as well."

Tatsumi looked at the invitation cordially. Issue being that this is the heart of the Templar order, going to this ball would be a little counter-productive. "Miss Esdeath, I don't think it would be proper for me to go to a ball held by the Emperor." Both Run and Esdeath looked at the young man curiously. "I mean, don't you think it would be..."

-X-

 _The Imperial Ballroom_

 _-x-_

"...a complete waste of time that we could be using to train." Tatsumi said in a low groan. He and the feared General Esdeath were standing in the Grand Imperial Ballroom. She, of course, wore her regular uniform while he was wearing a white tux.

Esdeath stood next to him with her arm locked around his with a massive smile plastered across her face. "Don't fear Tatsumi after the ball we can," Esdeath leaned in towards his ear, "train all you want for the rest of the night."

Tatsumi took a step back, "Did you suggest what I think you suggested?" He said in a much worried tone.

Esdeath resumed her regular stance. "But until then we should mingle. Anyone of any importance in the Empire would be here at this ballroom." Esdeath said with a slight smile. "If we're to make you into a general some day we'll have to start here." She than made a face that beamed like she had an idea. "You know we cou…"

Tatsumi began to zone out. He then closed his eyes and switched to his Eagle Sense. He began to observe everything the people, the room, and the food. It couldn't hurt to be prepared. All and all it seemed straightforward massive and extravagant ball, but he had to wonder, how many people beyond these gates and walls of the place suffered and died to make this happen. The thought made him scowl in disgust, and it reminded him that he must...

"Oh look Tatsumi!" Esdeath shrieked. "We've found the dance floor!" Esdeath tightened her deadlocked hold on his arm as she sprinted towards the ballroom's dance floor.

Once they arrived she took his other hand and began to dance to the slow ballroom music. Well, dance may not be the proper word; it was, moreorless, Esdeath forcefully swinging him and herself across the floor in an attempt to mimic everyone else. It didn't take long for everything, except that damn music, to stop and stare. Not at the terrible dancing, (which between us was more than enough of a reason) but at the General and him.

Finally the music stopped, but Esdeath was trapped inside her own little world. Although Tatsumi noticed something. That the Ballroom's attention had shifted from Esdeath and Himself to something else, but he couldn't see to what, or whom. "Oh Ho!" A voice said. Unfortunately Tatsumi use unable to discern who the voice belonged too due to Ms. Esdeath MASSIVE um... blockage in the way. "So this is the lucky suitor." The voice said again.

"Yes he is, his name's Tatsumi." Esdeath finally pulled away, and exposed a young child in extravagant looking apparel and to the child's right stood...him. The Prime Minister.


	14. The Imperial Palace

Tatsumi stood there staring at the man whom he had sworn to kill for the Creed. Like his teacher taught him, he quickly grabbed General Esdeath's Rapier. In a sudden fluid motion he sunk the blade into the Minister's abdomen. Leaned in and whispered, "May your Gods watch over you as…"

No he couldn't, first off, he wouldn't live long enough to. Second, if the Minister died now then someone within the Templars would take his place and the others would still be where they are now.

"It's fascinating," The Fat Man began to speak, "to see General Esdeath care for someone so much. I've heard much about you from her." Tatsumi noticed that his right hand began to move. The manner was similar to a man beginning a handshake. The issue stood that Tatsumi was missing his ring finger on his right hand, which was the one that the Minister was moving to shake. Acting quickly Tatsumi slipped his right hand into his pocket and quickly raised his left hand for the minister for him to shake.

Their two hands meet and they both looked awkwardly at their to hands. "I-I'm sorry, here al…" Tatsumi began to sputter out.

"No." The Minister said with a massive cheshire smile. "It's alright." The Minister lowered his hand and instead raised his other. The Minister and him shook their hands wordlessly. They jointly lowered the others hands. Then the Minister motioned to a man behind him. "Have you meet The Great General Budo?"

Tatsumi froze. While being face to face with the Grandmaster was a freight itself, The Knight Commander was something else. Esdeath may have power over ice but her Teigu wasn't what gave him a chill up his spine.

The Knight Commander stared at him. Sizing him up before giving a loud groan. The Minister laughed a little, "The Great General isn't much one for words." He cleared his throat and turned to the audience. "Now it is time for the Great Banquet!" The Minister shouted.

Soon after the announcement the entire room began to empty. Tatsumi was being dragged along by General Esdeath to the banquet. However soon after Tatsumi felt himself pulled away from the General. He looked towards his rescuer he would call him, or her, he couldn't see whomever it was.

Eventually the horde of courtiers and retainers passed the two of them. Tatsumi didn't know if Esdeath was able to break free herself or was sweep along with them. With the dance floor empty Tatsumi looked at the person who tugged him out of the group.

They were wearing elegant clothing befit an upper class male with a good position in the Capital's Administration with a brown hood covering his face."It's good to see you again my friend." Tatsumi recognized the voice. "It's been a few weeks hasn't it."

The man lowered his hood exposing his face. "David!" Tatsumi said relieved. "What are you doing here?" Tatsumi asked.

The bureaucrat gave him just the stupidest look imaginable. "Remember. I live here. In the court." Walsh said.

"Oh yeah." Tatsumi said remembering that the bureaucrat should more than likely, you know, live somewhere useful. "So was there a reason you pulled me aside?" Tatsumi asked.

"Indeed. I heard that you've been brought here by General Esdeath. I figured that we should have a private word." The bureaucrat said to the boy.

"And this is the only time you could peel me away from Ms. Esdeath, isn't it?"

"Percissly. Now I need you to tell me, what is going on?" Walsh inquisitively asked him.

"Well…"

* * *

"So Esdeath isn't aware of the Brotherhood, nor you being an Assassin?" Walsh said.

"Not that I'm aware of." Tatsumi said in a rather relieved tone.

"Good." The bureaucrat stood in front of him thinking. "Tatsumi, do you want to escape from the Palace?"

"Of course!" Tatsumi didn't even hesitate to respond.

"Alright." Walsh paused and thought for a moment. "Did you bring any weapons with you?" He asked.

"No I gave everything to one of me Assassins." Tatsumi said while shaking his head.

"Alright that'll limit our options. In the meantime you're going to need to blend into the Palace's high society. However," Walsh said whilst rolling up his sleeve exposing his hidden blade. "You're going to need something to protect yourself." He unhooked the hidden blade and handed it to Tatsumi. "You'll need some sort of weapon in this snake pen."

Tatsumi looked at it for a second. "I...I can't take that."

"Tatsumi, you'll need something to protect yourself. I have my reputation and my connections that I can sort of hide behind, you on the other hand." He pushed the blade into Tatsumi's arms. "You have a psychopath."

Tatsumi reluctantly took the arm mounted blade. He studied the mechanisms on the strange blade, it seemed to be reliant on the use of a ring connected to a finger on the Assassin's hand. Sadly he surrendered his right ring finger years ago, although he still had his left. He rolled up the sleeve of his left arm and strapped the hidden blade into place.

"Tatsumi!" His name rang out through the hall. It was Esdeath's without a doubt.

Walsh closed in and whispered, "I'll contact you in the next day two. Remember our Creed and the Tenets." With that the man turned around and threw his hood over his head and marched away.

"Tatsumi!" He heard his voice a second time.

' _Well I best be going to see what she needs. I guess all I can do now is wait and see what happens.'_

* * *

Days passed. It was probably, about four days since the ball and he hadn't heard or seen neither hide nor hair of Walsh. His thoughts drifted to his small band of Assassins that he had the privilege of working alongside for awhile now. And also Mein, that Night Raid agent.

"So Seryu, but I'll be gone for a week or two." The Professor calmly said.

"Bu-uu-ut you can't! Please stay! What if Night Raid attacks suddenly?!" The young girl said to the man.

"Well that's why we have the new boy." He pointed out. Although he could see that she wasn't convinced "Seryu if you're a good girl while I'm gone, I'll bring you back a nice new toy."

Seryu's face lighted up, "Will it be a Chain Sword! Or how about a Grenade Launcher!"

The Professor smiled oddly, "How about I surprise you."

Soon after that The man said goodbye to everyone, especially Tatsumi and Wave, and left the Jaegers meeting room.

Shortly after though he turned to Wave and asked a simple question, "Where is he going?"

"He has a lab up North somewhere." He said and continued to eat the food they had made earlier. "General Esdeath ordered him to deal with some rebels or something."

* * *

The days continued to pass without word from Walsh or anyone one else for that matter, besides Esdeath or one of her Jaegers. His night's continued to be sleepless due to the overly affectionate General sleeping next to him. It was on this night he saw something slide underneath the door. Interested he snuck away from Esdeath's embrace and crept over to the door to see what it was.

When he arrived he noticed an envelope with the single word on it. _Tatsumi._ He quietly opened the paper case and removed the letter and dagger that were on the inside. He then used the little light from the moon to read the message.

 _Tatsumi,_

 _I have finally worked out a way for you to escape the palace. First you'll need to meet me by same ballroom where we meet earlier. Afterwards you'll need to trust me to lead you out via a secret passageway._

 _Walsh_

Tatsumi looked to General and began to walk over to the sleeping women. ' _She is a threat, while not a Templar she is their puppet.'_ He prepared the blade with the movement of his hand and was about to sink the knife deep into her heart or her throat and end her life. However, suddenly, he stopped. ' _This women really hadn't done anything wrong. Yes she kidnapped me but it wasn't like she had a malicious reason for doing so.'_ In the end he didn't kill her.

He quietly reignited the fireplace and threw the letter inside and slipped the knife in his pocket. He silently moved to the Ballroom through the strangely empty palace. Hadn't Esdeath told him that the palace was regularly patrolled? Then why weren't there any guards? Eventually he arrived to the entrance of the Ballroom.

"Good." He looked up to see Walsh jump from a massive immoveable Chandelier. "Glad to see you made it."

"Yeah can you show me how the hell to get out of here?" Tatsumi said anxious to escape.

"Of course!" Walsh pushed open the a small section of wall. Soon after a section of the wall opened up to them. They pressed inside. "You know Tatsumi. I don't believe I thanked you."

"For what?" Tatsumi asked checking behind them.

"For saving my life." Walsh replied.

"It's no problem Walsh." Tatsumi said.

"No Tatsumi. Doing something like that brings a man into a debt. If there's anything that you need just ask." Walsh said sliding through a narrow point in the passage.

"Hey, you're doing more than enough right now." Tatsumi said sliding through the same point as Walsh just did and into a large storage room with a long hallway that Tatsumi couldn't quite see down.

Walsh sighed a little bit before walking into the center of the room. The room was wider and had several pillars in the middle each with multiple barrels at the bottom. The two Assassins approached the passage. "So end of the line Tatsumi." Walsh said as he patted a barrel he passed. "We'll have to part here real soon. Now I just want to tell you this, when you return to kill the Prime Minister. These barrels are full of gunpowder. Apply enough force to it...boom."

Tatsumi looked at the barrel, "I'll remember that." He held his silence before they closed the distance to the passage. After they had reached the opening of the passage Walsh extended his hand and Tatsumi shook it. "Hey why don't you come with me." Tatsumi finally broke the silence.

Walsh looked at him for a second, "Why? My place is here."

"Walsh your in danger here, even more so than most brothers are. Plus we need extra bodies, more than we do the information on Honest."

Walsh turned his head away for a second. "Well I thin…" They heard footprints storm into the room. Soon Esdeath, the Jaegers, and multiple Palace Guards stormed into the room. The two looked around taking in the situation. Esdeath was saying something that Tatsumi couldn't make out, however he did make something out.

Walsh turned to him and said two words as he thrust a piece of paper into his hands, "I'm sorry." Before he could react he felt Walsh's foot hit him right in the chest. He flew back at least five, maybe seven foot. Tatsumi looked up and he looked back into the room. That's when he saw Walsh, pistol in hand, shoot one of the barrels. The explosion collapsed the room and Tatsumi could no longer see into the room.

* * *

Tatsumi continued down the passage for what felt like several hours until he reached the end of the passage. There was a large stone door in his way. Tatsumi had to use his full body strength to open the door. He encroached into the area beyond the door. It lead to a spiral stair case. With no other options to him he followed up the stairway. Once he approached the stairway's top he was greeted with a small trap door. He slowly lifted it up and looked around to ensure that no one was around. When he was sure he thrust open the trap door fully and exited into what seemed like a small home within the city.

Judging from the surrounding area it looked like it was falling apart. Outside, the sun was starting to peek up over the horizon. He opened the door and looked around. He was certian that he was near the Western Gate, which put him on the opposing side of the city from Bismarck Cathedral. It would probably take a few hours to get back. As he started walking he felt a piece of paper. Suddenly he remembered, that Walsh gave him a piece of paper before he saved him. He tucked it into his pocket, remembering to bring it up with his Assassins.

* * *

 _Five Hours Later - Bismarck Cathedral_

* * *

Reluctantly Tatsumi wondered into the Assassin's base exhausted. As soon as entered the main area at he started staring at least five crossbows locked and loaded. Until they realized whom they saw. "Tatsumi?" He heard Mors's familiar voice.

"Hey Mors." Tatsumi responded. With this the other crossbows lowered. They approached and quickly embraced. "So who are these guys?" Tatsumi indicated towards the four other Assassins.

"While you where missing we decided we needed more people. So I recruited the four people I trusted the most from the Guard." Mors explained. The Assassins that he indicated towards had their masks and hoods up and seemed to be a mixed group from what he had seen.

"That's good to hear we need members and income." Tatsumi said nodding his head. After doing a quick inspection he turned towards Mors. "Where are the others?"

"Asleep, but not for long." Mors said and left with Tatsumi.

"I want to hold a meeting in my office." Tatsumi said to his companion.

* * *

Tatsumi sat behind his desk. Slowly Seamus, Flint, Mors and oddly enough Sophia and Mr. Avery also arrived. Tatsumi told the events of the previous week or so. "So it sounds like you had an interesting experience. Shame about your contact though." Avery said after Tatsumi gave his account for what had happened in the past week.

"So I want hear your updates of what has happened while I've been gone." Tatsumi said.

Avery spoke up first. "While you were in the capital, with the Assassin's help, we have not only removed the Templar's influence in the Markets, but I have also been elected to be the head of the guild." He said.

"That sounds perfect, the Markets will deprive the Templar's of their wealth." Tatsumi repleyed.

"Not only that, but, Sophia and I have decide to join the Creed and bring our resources to you."

Tatsumi was taken back for a moment before he moved on. "So when I was greeted I meet some new faces."

"Yeah." Seamus spoke up. "So we decided that in order to expand properly we'd need to bring in new recruits that can be trusted." Seamus said slowly.

Tatsumi nodded his head. "That sound good. We need to expand our manpower. Although we all need to ensure that all of our recruits will be loyal, we can't be betrayed now." He sunk into his chair. "Is there anything else that you need to tell me?" After waiting for seconds Tatsumi pulled out the paper that Walsh had given him. "I haven't read this yet, but Walsh made sure I received this before his death."

 _Tatsumi,_

 _I have discovered the the Jaeger, Dr. Stylish, is a Templar agent. As you maybe able to recall he recently left the Capital to head north to his private lab. It is a oddly newer facility that is close to Alamut, placing it a risk. I believe he maybe getting ready for an attack. We cannot allow this to occur. I am giving this to you to allow you to decide the next step of action._

 _Signed, David Walsh_

After taking in the information Tatsumi started to speak. "Stylish has almost a day on us. A raven or message will take to long to alert Alamut. I feel the best course of action will be to try and eliminate him ourselves. I want a message sent immediately just in case. I will go and deal with him after I get a chance to eat something and rest."

After he finished Sophia, who had been quiet up until now. "Tatsumi, you can't leave now. You just escaped from the Palace you aren't in shape to go and deal with Stylish by yourself."

"None of you can go." Tatsumi quickly shot back. "The recruits will need to be trained by Seamus, and Flint. Avery and you are too unexperience in the kill to be of much use. Mors is of to high of a note to disappear for a trip to the frontier. Going by myself is the only option."

"At least bring someone, Tatsumi." Mors joined in. "If the Creed demands me to leave for now I have lieutenants that'll be able to handle things here in my stead."

Tatsumi sat in thought for what felt like hours. "What about Night Raid?"

* * *

The people of Night Raid had assembled around Akame at their base. "So Tatsumi wants an Alliance." Bulat thought out loud.

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 _ **So this has been looooonnnng over do. I am sorry about that. I just want to say I am dedicated to make sure that this gets completed. However my favorite Readers, I need your help. I am not completely satisfied with my previous chapters. Please take a look at the older chapters and give me analytical feedback. It is appreciated and thanked. I will make sure to respond to all feedback and discuss with you what and how something can be improved. BTW this counts for this and all future chapters. You guys are awesome. DFTBA**_


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